


Love Knows No Bounds

by Warriorbard2012



Series: Sanvers Week 2018 [5]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Beauty and the Beast AU, F/F, Slow Burn Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-03-20 08:26:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 54,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13713795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warriorbard2012/pseuds/Warriorbard2012
Summary: Sanvers Week 2018 Day 6: Magic in the Modern WorldSo I changed the prompt a little bit and I made this the Beauty and the Beast retelling that I said that I would do, but haven’t gotten the time for until now. So here it is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So as the summary mentioned this is my version of Beauty and the Beast. It is rather dark and it deals with a lot of themes so if anyone needs me to put a tag on anything that maybe triggering let me know. I will say that Maggie’s father is not a nice man, and he isn’t very nice to Alex’s character or Maggie’s.  
> As always any mistakes are my own, this is unedited. Happy Reading! :)

Alex growled softly in the back of her throat as she watched the older man stalk across castle grounds, looking for something. It had been years since anyone had stepped foot onto this place. Tales of the witch’s curse kept most people away, but every once in a while a person or two would come onto the land. She hated it. People made her nervous. Kara was the nice one, after all. 

She adjusted her cloak around her shoulders, and watched him walk though her gardens, admiring the carefully sculpted hedges and the clear blue fountains that her servants diligently kept up. She didn’t understand what he wanted. She had provided him with shelter from the storm last night and enough food and drink to fill his belly and quench his thirst for the evening and the morning meals. She had even provided him with one of her softest feathered beds to spend the night. Now it was morning, and still the man lingered. 

“What’s he doing?” She said, her voice low and rough. She clicked her nails on the stone wall, impatient. 

“I’m not sure Al…. should we send J’onn or James to check him out?” Kara, her sister, said, appearing suddenly beside her. Kara’s black cloak which was similar to the one that Alex was wearing, helped her blend into the dark space that they were crouched in on the wall of the castle. Alex sighed, feeling slightly better at her sister’s presence. 

“Not yet. I don’t want him to know that we are here. I just don’t understand what he is doing. Any sane person would be gone by now.” 

Kara could feel the tension in her sister’s body and she put a hand on her back. “Easy, Al.” Kara hated that her sister felt that way about their visitors. People weren’t all bad. Over the years, she had made a few friends among the stragglers that ended up on their land. But it was different for her. She wasn’t the one who was cursed. _But it was supposed to be me, and Alex took it upon her shoulders to protect me….as always._ She pushed the thought away. Now wasn’t the time for a Guilt trip. 

Alex growled again, as the man walked though their rose garden stopping every other bush to admire the unique ones growing there. “I don’t like this.” 

“I know, but be patient… maybe this guy holds the key to breaking the curse.” Kara said, as she did every time they had a visitor. 

“I doubt it.” Alex said, rubbing her ear. But Kara felt her relax a little though and she smiled at her sister in return. _Still there is always hope, Sister._

They watched silently as the man continued to walk through the garden, making his way back around again. Kara felt herself falling asleep in the warmth of the day, and she leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder. Alex stiffened for a second at the touch but then relaxed and put an arm around Kara’s body. 

It was a few minutes later and Kara had dozed off, when she felt Alex stiffen and growl. She barely got any warning and a chance to move before Alex had leapt from their hiding place on the wall down to the courtyard below. In the blink of an eye Alex had used a spell to speed across the lawn to grab the man by the throat. 

The man gasped as a shadow came out of nowhere and held him up in the air, the rose that he had picked lay on the grass between them. He felt fingers close around his throat but all he could see was a black shadow, shimmering like smoke in the light of the sun. 

“What…” He wheezed. 

“How dare you!?” Alex roared. “We gave you shelter, provided you with food and drink and gave you a bed to sleep in for the night. We asked for nothing in return for our kindness and yet you repay us by stealing from us!” She squeezed harder and he whined pitifully. Behind her, Alex felt Kara’s presence appear, but she stayed hidden and didn’t reveal herself. Her little sister knew better than to interfere. 

“Please.” He managed to say. “Forgive me.” 

“Why should I? What reason could you offer me that would make me want to spare your miserable life?” Alex said. 

“My daughter…” Alex sighed, as he said the one thing that would make her let go. She did and the man fell to the ground. He started coughing and Alex waited impatiently for him to catch his breath. 

“What was that?” She asked. 

“My daughter. She’s of child-bearing age, unmarried, strong, and good looking. I would offer her hand up in payment of my debt, m'lord. ” He wheezed. Alex looked back at Kara, and exchanged a look, then Alex turned back towards the man. 

“Really?” Alex rolled her eyes. “I had expected you to say that I should spare your life because you needed to take care of your daughter, or that you were stealing the rose for her but yet you would use her as pawn.” Alex crossed her arms, smiling as she saw that the man was trying to focus on her form and couldn’t. It was the only part of the curse that she liked. 

“What’s wrong with her that she has not yet found a husband?” Alex asked, sensing that the man was holding something back. 

“Nothing, m’lord. She has refused all suitors saying that she would rather die than marry a man, and I have yet to find her one that is willing to take her on.” 

Alex sighed. She turned to Kara and looked at her sister, hoping that Kara would have answers. “Well?” She asked, using a spell to stop time around them so they could converse in peace. “What do you think?” 

“Well, I hate the fact that they always assume you are a Lord… as if a woman couldn’t be in charge of a manor this size.” Kara said, making Alex laugh. “But I spoke with the servants before I came to you… while they never showed themselves to him per your rule, he still wasn’t very nice. He complained that while the food was good, and the beer was excellent that he was a man of importance and that the Lord of the manor should have met with him. If he thanked you for your hospitality, Al it wasn’t spoken aloud. It makes me wonder, if he treats the kindness of strangers so poorly, how does he treat his family?” 

Alex was quiet for a moment as pondered Kara’s words. The price was high, but if she could release one girl from her abusive father, than she would take the advantage that the curse had given her. She released the spell. “I will accept your offer, on two conditions. I will make provisions for her as the law requires and you will be paid one third of the bride price in gold, which you will take with you in good faith. Tomorrow Evening you will show her to my servant at the gate and you will be paid another one third of the gold to show that we are betrothed and I have pledged my faithfulness to her…” she paused and waited for his answer. His eyes lit up at the thought of all of that gold, and Alex was sad to see that it was the love of gold that he bore in his heart not the love of his family. 

“I agree to those terms, m’lord.” He said. Alex sighed. 

“Good. My second condition is she must agree to the marriage, so I propose that she live here with me for the next three months and get to know me and see if we are a match. If she chooses to remain here by my side I will pay triple remaining bride price, and we will wed. If she does not, I will pay double the remaining bride price and she will be free of both us. Do you accept?” “It seems foolish m'lord, to pay so handsomely for a woman that may not stay to warm your bed. Would not a whore be better suited for your needs?” He comment dryly. He laughed as Alex growled. “Are you a man or a beast under that mask of shadow, are you afraid that she will look upon your form and fall faint with fright?” He cackled evilly. 

Alex felt fury spring up in her heart as his words lay bare her biggest fears. She growled low, feeling her fangs and claws emerged in reaction to her anger. It took her a second to fight the beast back down and felt she Kara’s calming hands on her back, summoning a spell to soothe her. She clenched her teeth, remembering all of the lessons her father had taught her about controlling her temper. “And it seems foolish my good sir, to argue with and insult such a generous benefactor as I… I give you gold and your life, and it seems that I’ve found a solution to your problems as well. Think of all of the ways that you can spend your gold with one less mouth to feed… and it’s not your reputation that suffers but mine if this doesn’t work out. Now do we have a deal or not?” 

“We have a deal.” He held out his hand. Alex took it with her invisible fingers, and squeezed hard enough to make him sequel. “What shall I call you, my Lord?” 

“My name is Alex.” She said, letting go. She snapped her fingers and James appeared. “Take what food you would desire for the evening to celebrate your daughter’s betrothal, as well. My servant here will help you get what you need from my treasury and the stores and will give you a signed copy of the agreement. If you break any part of our deal, know that there will be no place on this earthly plane that you can hide from my wrath.” She added with malice in her voice. He shook as the full weight of her power brushed against him. She studied him for a moment as he cowered in front of her, and then with a laugh, she disappeared back into the Castle. It wasn’t until she was safely inside the walls, that she wondered just what the hell she had done. 

**————————-**

Maggie took a breath as she came down from her high. She laughed as Emily flopped back on the bed beside her, and they both smiled at each other before kissing again. Maggie tasted herself on Emily’s lips and it made her moan. She could still taste Emily on her tongue and that the taste of them together was the best flavor in the world. Emily sighed as she curled around her and they lay together, their sweaty bodies slowly being cooled by the breeze from the open window. It was so peaceful. 

“I wish I could stay here with you.” Maggie whispered, knowing that it was going to break the mood, but unable to stop her words. “Everything would be so much better.” 

“Until Adam came home and found you here…” Emily said pulling away, sighing. “This is just a bit of fun, Mags. Nothing more.” The mood in the room turned from happy to frosty in just seconds. 

“I know that.” Maggie said hastily, even though Emily’s words were like a dagger in the heart. “It’s just Father. He’s so drunk all of the time. It’s getting worse, and it has been since Mother has gotten sick. I just…” Emily’s face softened a little. 

“I get it Mags. I feel overwhelmed sometimes too. Being a woman is hard, but being a wife is harder. But the greatest responsibility we have is to marry well so that our husbands can provide for us, our children and our parents in the future.” Emily said, leaning down to kiss Maggie’s cheek before pulling on her dress. Maggie took the hint and got dressed herself. 

“But I don’t want a husband.” She felt disgust, well up in her belly at the thought of letting a man touch her the way that Emily did. 

“Not every man is a drunkard like your father, or a wife beater like mine. Maybe you’ll find someone like Adam?” Emily said to be encouraging. 

Maggie sighed. _Adam was a nice guy, but still. I don’t want a man… I want to marry someone like Emily. I wish that people would understand that._ Maggie thought. She wished that she could just be who she was and not have to bow to who society wanted her to be. 

“Maybe.” She said, moving her hair so that it hid the tears in her eyes. “I’ll see you later.” She kissed Emily once more ,before turning and walked out the door. 

Maggie knew that her and Emily were wrong to be with each other, especially now that Emily was married, but old habits were hard to break. They had started their affair back when they were in school. Emily had liked being with her, although Maggie suspected that now it was because she was the only one who made her come. Adam may have been a nice guy but he was a terrible lover. Maggie liked being with Emily because it was the only time that she could be herself. 

She sighed as the feeling of being trapped in this life grew and grew like a weight in her chest. The sudden sound of the church bells made her jump and she cursed as she counted them, realizing that she was going to be late. Her father was going to be home from his trip to town and there will be no dinner on the table to greet him. She cursed again as she ran faster, hoping that he would already be drunk by the time she got there. _At least his anger doesn’t last as long when he drinks._

“Where have you been girl!?” He demanded as she open the door and ran into the room. Her father was sitting in his chair by the fire, smoking a pipe. He had a mug of ale in his hand as well, and by the smell of him he was already on his way to being hammered. 

“Sorry father. I was helping Emily with the wash. You know how she pays me extra to do so.” Maggie said, taking out two silver pieces from her pocket. 

Truth was it was her own money, On the days that her father was away at Market in Town, she would take her weapons and hunt in the forest, and then sell the firs to the tanner for coin and/or trade. The two silver pieces were a small price to pay to retain at least some freedom. 

“Hmm.” He said, putting the silver pieces in his pocket and picking up his mug. “Don’t worry about supper, Margarita.” He said pointing to the kitchen where a feast had been laid out on the table. “Go on, eat.” 

She didn’t hesitate, as this was more food than she had seen a long time. There was roasted herbed duck, warm potatoes with real butter, and yellow cake with icing. Her stomach growled and she forced herself not to inhale it. 

“The Market was good then, Father?” Maggie asked after a while of silence, taking another bite of the potatoes. She added seconds to her plate, and was beginning to feel full for the first time in a long time. 

He laughed, as if he knew a secret. And it made her wary as she took another bite of the cake. “As if, child. No, this feast was provided by a generous benefactor.” He said, a wicked smirk upon his face. 

“Oh?” Maggie asked, feeling the food she had already eaten start to turn to stone in her stomach. Nothing was ever good when he made a face like that. 

“I found you a husband.” He said smiling and Maggie felt the heart sink. 

“What?” She dropped her fork. “What did you say?” 

“Are you deaf as well as stupid? I said that I found you a husband. You are to go to him tomorrow. He paid well for you.” Her father said, taking another drink. 

“But Father!” 

“No, Margarita. Now, I have been patient with you, but this time I must put my foot down. It is past time that you marry. I was hoping that you would choose for yourself, but since you are unwilling, I have chosen for you.” His voice was firm and Maggie knew that despite him being drunk he wasn’t not going to back down. She sighed and picked at her plate with her fork. Her father sighed too, and setting down his mug, he came over to her. He placed his hand on her head and ran his sweaty, dirty fingers through her hair. It took all of her willpower not to react. 

“Besides, Margarita. Lord Alex has provided greatly for us. The bride price will allow me to put your mother in a good home, a place where she will be cared for and loved. A place with a Garden and sunshine, not the dark asylum that she’s in now.” He whispered in her ear. His voice was warm and sweet, dripping with honey that Maggie knew was just masking the foulness underneath. “So if you don’t want to do it for me, do it for your mother, eh?” He laughed, knowing that he was pushing all of her buttons. 

Maggie wanted scream and punch him in the face knowing that she was being manipulated, but there was nothing she could do. She sank back in the chair and sighed feeling so tired. 

“Fine. I will do as you ask.” She said, feeling tears in her eyes and she resigned herself to life that was so far from what she wished that it could be. 

“That’s my good child.” He said, as he bent down to kiss her hair. She pulled away from him and spit at his feet. He just laughed, before he backhanded her across the face. 

“Serves the bastard right, that he ends up with a firebrand like you.” He laughed wickedly as Maggie turned and fled up the stairs to her room, feeling the weight in her chest grow even more heavy, as she entered the only safe place in her world. _What the hell was she going to do now?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really excited to post this chapter. This time I written about 4 chapters ahead so this story will be updated every week. (Wednesdays I think) I have a Beta as well, and I would like to thank her, Angel Pants of the HR Nightmare Squad not only for helping me developing this, but for being as excited for this story as I am. Happy Reading. :)

Alex paced back and forth in her room, watching as the hours ticked by on the clock face. It was midday and she had a few hours left before their guest would arrive. She felt nervous at the thought of meeting her future “bride”. She still wondered if she had done the right thing, and if the girl would ever forgive her for it. _At least you’ve given her an out, that’s more than what she would have had if you’d have been anybody else. But still when she finds out who bought her hand… she won’t stay. No one ever does when they find out who you are._

“Princess?” J’onn said, knocking on the door. 

“Come in.” She said, and J’onn entered. He looked sharp as usual in his uniform and his favorite katana sword was strapped to his back. He saluted her and she nodded at him, grateful for his presence. 

“Everything is prepared as you wished, m’lady. Kara made sure of it.” 

“Thank you, J’onn.” She said. She had long given up on getting him to call her Alex when he was on duty. 

“Permission to speak freely, M’lady?” He asked, and she rolled her eyes at the formality. He never needed her permission to speak freely around her. J’onn J’onzz was more than just her Captain of the Guard… he was like a father to her, more so than even her own father had been. _All he ever did was teach me how to control my temper and to rule a kingdom. J’onn was the one who tucked me in at night and comforted me when I needed a hug._

She nodded, and he came closer. “You worry too much. Just relax, Dearheart… everything will work out the way that the Gods intend for it to.” 

“That’s easy for you to say, Papa Bear… you aren’t meeting your future wife today.” She said, resuming her pacing. J’onn came over and stood in her path. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she melted into the touch. “I just really want this one to work out.” 

J’onn frowned as he thought about Maxwell, the man that his Alexandra had been promised too, when this curse happened. Maxwell had been Jeremiah’s choice for Alex and while J’onn knew that Alex preferred the fairer sex, Alex had gone along with it knowing that it was for the benefit of the kingdom. It wasn’t love, but Alex had liked him enough, which was more than what most people had. 

It wasn’t until after Jeremiah’s death and the Witch’s curse that Maxwell showed his true colors.After promising that he would do everything in his power to help Alex break the curse, James found him in another woman’s bed. When Alex had confronted him about it, he had said cruel things to her. J’onn had banished him from the Castle and bloodied him up a little. But he knew it wouldn’t make up for his words, and the fact that Alex still carried the burden of those words like a chain around her heart to this day. 

Shaking the memory from his mind, J’onn put his arm around her shoulders. “It will, Dearheart it will.” He paused and kissed the top of her head. “Now let’s get you ready shall we?” 

“Why It’s not like she can see me?” Alex huffed, and J’onn smiled lovingly at her. 

“But we can, so you might as well look your best…Come on, M’gann shined your boots for you, and Kara found all of your medals.” He said, giving her a puppy dog look. 

“Alright, Alright… Please not that look.” She said laughing, and J’onn patted himself on the back as he got her to smile. 

Shaking her fist at him playfully, Alex strode over to her screen and closet and got out her guard’s uniform. It matched J’onn’s only her coat was a royal purple instead of red. She wore a plain white puffy shirt under it, and black slacks. Her boots were next and then her coat. She came out to see that Kara had joined them. Her sister clapped as she appeared and Alex laughed. 

“You do this every time I wear this!” 

“Of course, because you look so handsome.” Kara said, coming over and pushing back a lock of Alex’s hair. Her sister kept it short, like a boy’s and Kara liked the look on her. Alex looked more comfortable in her own skin that way, and Kara loved to see her sister happy. 

Kara picked up the box of medals and started attaching them to Alex’s coat, while J’onn had retrieved her sword from the weapons chest and was buckling in place at her waist. When they were done, they both stepped back. 

“You look wonderful… very regal.” Kara said, curtsying. Alex playfully shoved her in the shoulder. 

“You do look wonderful, Alex. When your bride sees you, she won’t know what hit her.” J’onn said, emphasizing the when to show Alex that he had hope that one day the curse will break. 

“I hope so.” Alex said, looking back at the clock. “Now show me what you have done… She’ll be here soon.” 

**——————————————————————————-**

Maggie huffed and shifted in her seat as the wagon hit another bump. She wondered why her father had even bothered to take the horse today, it wasn’t as if she had a lot to carry with her. Her entire belongings had been packed inside a small carpet bag that her father had brought back with him from the Market during happier times. _At least he was lucid enough to let me say goodbye to Mother, and to Emily._

Emily had hugged her for a long moment and had made her promise to write and to visit every once in a while. Her mother had just sat there as usual, hardly registering her presence. 

“Sit up child… we are almost there.” Her Father said, and with a groan Maggie complied. 

“What’s he like?” Maggie asked. “The Lord?” 

“He’s not like other men, that’s for sure.” Her father said with a look that she didn’t understand. “Other than that I’m not really sure. It doesn’t really matter, he paid a handsome price for you.” His tone suggested that he was done with the subject. 

Maggie huffed again and watched the trees go by. _This isn’t fair… I should be free to choose who I want, not just because some guy paid my father a lot of money to have my hand._

“Chin up, Margarita… I’m not really sure why you are complaining. You’re marrying a Lord. You will never want for anything anymore.” 

_Except for my freedom…_ She shook her head, knowing that her father would never really understand. 

The Castle suddenly came into view, and Maggie gasped at the sight of it. It was bigger than she had imagined. The castle was made with beautiful white stone seemed to come alive with color in the fading Sunset, and lush green gardens and trees treated them as they started on the path. It was so beautiful and it took her breath away. 

Her Father pulled on the reins signaling the horse to stop just as they reached the gate. Waiting for them was a man and a younger woman, barely more than a girl. The man was dressed in a Guard’s uniform and had a katana blade on his back. His skin was a beautiful ebony and his arms were like small trees, but when his smiled at her it was soft and gentle. The girl was dressed in a beautiful yellow gown, with a ring of flowers in her golden yellow hair, and she practically dancing with excitement. 

The Guard came forward and offered his hand to help her out of the wagon. “M’lady?” He said. She took it hesitantly, but didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of these strangers by refusing. He nodded at her encouragingly and she relaxed a little. 

“Thank you.” She said. He bowed slightly to her, and she broke out an awkward curtsy in return. 

The Guard then turned his attention to her father. “Well met, Sir.” He said, giving him a nod. “The gold as requested is just over here.” He said, pointing to where another guard was standing over a bundle of bags. Maggie’s eyes popped out as she realized just how much her father was able to negotiate for her. _That explains the horse and wagon._ A part of her was kind of flattered that the Lord thought that she was worth such a high price, while the other part of her shivered in disgust at the thought that she had been bought like a horse or like a piece of land. 

Her father went to move over to grab his gold, but Maggie stopped everyone in their tracks. “Where’s the Lord? Why has he not come down to greet me?” She asked. Her father froze and gave the guard that same look again. 

“I was sent to fetch you, m’lady. The Lord has been otherwise detained and is unable to make it down here in time to greet you. I’ve been instructed to show you around the Castle and then the Lord will be there to officially meet you over the evening meal.” The girl said stepping forward. “I’m Kara, Alex’s sister.” 

Maggie gave her a curtsy as well, even though on the inside she was seething. _How dare he buy me from my father and then not even have the courtesy to greet me at the gate, like even a common man would… does his money and privilege make him think that he is above having manners._

She turned towards her Father, but he was too busy counting the gold, the greed in his eyes was very plain to see. Maggie stopped and sighed. _This is going to be my life I might as well accept it. I’m just trading one evil for another. I wish that I didn’t feel so alone._

J’onn saw the sadness in her eyes and his heart went out for her. Unnoticed he smacked the man’s shoulder. “Go to her, can’t you see that she’s scared? This is all new for her… show some respect .” He said, using a spell to make sure that only the man heard his whisper. 

Grumbling the man went over and wrapped an arm around his daughter. He turned to Kara. “May I present my daughter, Margarita Sawyer, m’lady.” He gave her a bow, then he bent down to look Maggie in the eye. “It will be alright, my child. The Lord and his family will take care of you, beside you aren’t a prisoner. You can come visit when you like.” He kissed her head, and pulled her into a hug. This time Maggie didn’t pull away. “Goodbye, Daughter.” He said. 

“Goodbye, Father.” She said, kissing his cheek as she supposed a good and loving daughter would. Despite her intense dislike for the man who fathered her, he was the only thing that was left from home, and she was leaving him behind. She felt tears in her eyes and for a minute there she didn’t want to let him go. She had a flash of when she was little and his arms felt like the safest place in the world. _Oh how I miss those simple times._

She felt Kara come closer and offer her hand. Maggie kissed her father goodbye one last time, before taking Kara’s hand. 

J’onn came up behind them and grabbed her bag from the wagon. He nodded towards the other guard. “James here will oversee the distribution of the rest of your money. I’ll walk these two back into the Castle, and make sure that your daughter is comfortable. Have a good day, Sir.” 

The man was no longer paying attention, but instead was counting each one of the precious coins back into a bag. He also didn’t notice the moment that Alex appeared out of the shadows beside him, after J’onn and Kara had left. He felt his shoulder being grabbed as she spun him around to face her. 

“You again.. aren’t you supposed to be waiting for my daughter inside your precious Castle.” The man said, venomously. “I’m mad that you deprived me of the joy of seeing her face the first time she sees what she is marrying.” 

“You didn’t tell her did you, about our agreement?” 

“No, that’s between me and you… You didn’t tell me that I had to tell her, only that I had to deliver her to you.” He smiled. “I guess you get to tell her… not only that you’re a monster, but you get to tell her why you bought her, out of some misguided sense of freeing her from me… just wait until she realizes that she was only brought to be bed warmer for some beast.” 

Alex growled. She had only been thinking of giving Maggie a way out of their supposed marriage as a way to escape from having to marry someone like her father. She hadn’t been thinking of what those actions would look like to someone else. _Shit! What have I done?_

“You are a wicked man, and I hope that the Gods will bring judgement down upon your head. Take the gold and get off my land. I pray that one day you will realize what a precious thing you squandered and all in the name of gold.” She turned and started to walk away. 

“Yeah, yeah… I’ll be back for my triple portion of my gold. At least I can show my face to her then… that’s more than you can say, m’lord.” He called after her. She didn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that she knew that he was right. She snapped her fingers and magicked herself inside the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know you were looking forward to their first meeting, but it’s a couple chapters away. This is going to be a very slow burn so stay turned. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below,(if you leave me enough response I might be convinced to post the next one a little early!) and as always thanks for reading. :) 
> 
> PS if you want to talk to me about this story or anything in general feel free to message me on tumblr or Twitter, under the same user name.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a short chapter to tide you over until Wednesday. Just stick with me, I promise everything will be revealed in time and all of your questions will be answered. A special thank you to my Beta for helping me with this along the way. Happy Reading :) 
> 
> PS: Trigger warning for a panic attack, it’s the scene inbetween the dashed lines. If this bothers you, please feel free to skip that scene.

It was a short distance from the main gate to the Castle entrance. Maggie paused for a second and turned around to study the main gate. It was the only entrance and exit onto the Castle ground since their were high walls surrounding the land, which Maggie had imagined had kept out large army in it’s time. There were guards everywhere, covering the top of the gate house, and looking out at the landscape every few feet on top of the wall in both directions. Realizing that it wasn’t as she pictured it, Maggie felt her freedom slipping away. There was nowhere to run. 

The Castle was even more beautiful up close though and under different circumstances she would be thrilled at living there. _A beautiful prison, that’s all that this place is._

“Welcome to our Castle.” Kara whispered, as J’onn signaled the guards to open the large door that led into the Castle’s main hall. 

“This is beautiful.” Maggie said, wanting to be polite. 

“Thank you. Alex takes great pride in things being neat and orderly and the servants do a great job of keeping up with the cleaning and repair that this giant place needs.” 

Kara said, motioning for Maggie to go first. Maggie hesitated, knowing that her place as a member of the lower class was to follow Kara, but then she remembered that she was going to be the Lord’s wife and that technically she out classed them all. 

Maggie went through the door,and then stopped and gasped at the sight before her eyes. The main hall was wonderfully decorated, with beautiful paintings and rich tapestries depicting the stories and legends of the Lord’s family line. The white stone was present here as well, along with beautiful candelabras along the walls and and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and was lit with more candles than Maggie had ever seen in her lifetime. The light from the candelabras and the chandelier along with the natural light from the high windows, reflected off of the stone and cast interesting shadows along the floor, making the whole room cozy and inviting. 

There were two stone staircases that lead up stairs to the second floor of the Castle and various doors and hallways that lead to other rooms along the main floor. She suspected that the throne room was here somewhere, and she wondered what it looked like. 

“This is amazing.” Maggie said, truthfully. 

“Thank you. I love this place. Right this way and I’ll show you to your room.” 

“Can we look around some more, first?” Maggie asked shyly. 

“Of course.” Kara said. She turned to J’onn who smiled. 

“I’ll drop this off in your room, miss. I’ll go check that situation you asked me about earlier, your grace.” He said, bowing a little before disappearing down the hallway. 

His statement reminded Maggie that she still had yet to meet her husband to be, and her nervousness and anger boiled up again. 

“So what is keeping his Lordship, m’lady? I’m not one for feminine dramatics, but it’s disappointing to see that he isn’t the type of Lord who follows tradition.” 

Kara frowned, since she felt that Alex had joined them, even though she kept hidden in the shadows. She could hear Alex’s heart beat faster and she could sense her nervousness. She cast a look at her, and saw that Alex’s face was a mask of pain and sadness. Before she could figure out what was wrong, Alex had snapped her fingers and had magicked herself back upstairs. Kara sighed. Alex never made this easy. 

“I apologize, and trust me that Alex would do anything in their power to be here right now.” 

**—————————————-**

“I can’t do this.” Alex said, pacing back and forth again in her room. “This was a mistake.” 

“Easy, Princess.” J’onn said. “It will be alright.” 

“No, it won’t. She already hates me, and she thinks I’m a man…. not to mention that her stupid father didn’t tell her the conditions of our agreement. He thinks I bought her to be my whore… what if she thinks the same...” Alex said, feeling tears in her eyes. “I was just…” Her voice broke as the panic attack she had been holding off since this morning flared up. 

J’onn sensed it and ran over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, carefully lowering them to the floor. “Just breathe, Dearheart.” He placed her hand on his chest. “Breathe with me, Alex.” He said. He hated this. The anxiety and the panic attacks were a different curse than the one the witch had cast over her. No this one was born of overbearing parents who demanded perfection from their firstborn daughter. It got worse when the Danvers adopted Kara, as they pushed her to take care of the child, to make sure that the knowledge of Kara’s special abilities were protected at all costs. 

_Not that it matters now… the curse took care of that._ He thought, as he rocked Alex like a baby in his arms. “It’s alright.” 

He felt Alex take a shuddering breath and then another as the band around her lungs relaxed. “That’s it… good girl.” He whispered kissing her forehead gently. 

“I’m sorry.” Alex said, after a while. “You have enough on your plate without me falling apart.” 

“Hush now. You know that your well being is my highest priority.” He kissed her forehead and she sighed. 

They were quiet for awhile, J’onn making sure that the worst of her panic attack had gone. Then he tapped her shoulder. “You can’t hide in here forever, Dearheart.” 

“I know.” Alex sighed. 

“She doesn’t hate you by the way. She just nervous about this, same as you.” 

“Really?” Alex asked, hope shining in her eyes. 

“Really.” J’onn reassured her. Alex sighed again, and then stood up. 

“I guess that I shouldn’t keep her waiting then.” She said. With one last glance at J’onn and seeing the reassurance in his eyes, she snapped her fingers and appeared in the hallway outside the room where she felt that Kara was located. 

**——————————————————**

“This is the library.” Kara said, opening a large ornate door. “This is my favorite place in the whole Castle.” She walked forward so that Maggie could come into the room as well. Maggie was impressed by all of the books… it was bigger than the library at the church. Books however weren’t something that held her interest. 

Emily had always been the one that had adored books, and so Maggie had managed to save up enough money each year to get her a book for her birthday. Emily always loved them, and had repaided her for the gift long into the night. The memory made Maggie’s heartache. _I miss you, my friend._

As the daughter of a blacksmith, weapons and armor were more her type of fun. She had grown up watching her father make and mold the weapons that he in turn sold to the soldiers at the market each year. He had even taught her to make a few swords and how to shape a bow. It wasn’t until after her mother had gotten sick and she had grown up from a girl to a woman that things between them changed. Still Maggie preferred spending time in the armory over any place else. 

“Books are not really fascinating to you, are they?” Kara asked, breaking Maggie from her thoughts. Kara could see that while Maggie was impressed by the amount of books, the books themselves weren’t exciting to her as they were to Kara. 

“Not really… I mean, I can read. But I prefer weapons to books. Do you have an armory or a blacksmith’s forge here?” Maggie asked. 

Kara smiled. _See, Alex you and Margarita have common ground after all._

“Right this way, Margarita…” Kara said, pointing towards a door at the other end of the hallway. 

“It’s Maggie.” Maggie said, shyly. “I prefer Maggie.” 

“Alright, Maggie.” Kara said smiling. She could sense that the longer the other woman was with her the more relaxed she became. She felt Alex’s presence move closer as she walked down the hallways towards them and she wondered if her sister was ready to introduce herself to their guest yet. 

“You know, Alex has been really nervous to meet you.” Kara said suddenly, breaking Maggie out of her thoughts as they walked. 

“Really? Why?” Maggie said, surprised. 

“Alex is shy… they don’t do so well with people. Alex has been looking forward to meeting you since we ran into your father yesterday. Which is why they were disappointed to find that they were unable to greet you at the gate.” 

“How old is he?” Maggie asked, suddenly wanting to know more about her future husband. 

“Alex just turned 21 last winter.” Kara replied. “How about you?” 

“I’m 24. I find it surprising that a man of his age would want a wife as old as me… did my father not tell him?” 

“There was a lot of things that weren’t discussed it seems.” Kara said, softly. Before Maggie could ask more, she motioned to the door that she just walked up to. “This is the armory.” Kara said, before opening the door. She let Maggie go inside by herself and she stood in the doorway watching her. 

Maggie took in the rows and rows of beautifully crafted weapons. There were swords and spears, lances and bows, shields and then rows and rows of armor. She closed her eyes and let her other senses explore for a while, the smell of leather and steel making her feel at home. She didn’t notice that Kara had withdrawn and that she was there alone, or so it seemed. In fact, she was so lost in her head that she didn’t see the shadow advancing toward her. 

Alex stuck to the dimly lit shadows in the corners of the room, not wanting her bride to be to pick up on her presence as she observed the woman in front of her. She was beautiful, more beautiful than Alex could have dreamed. With dark hair, beautiful tan skin, and a shapely and strong figure accented by a plain, but pretty blue gown, Alex was reminded of some of the sculptures of the goddesses in the library. _She could belong up there with them._

Finding her nerve, she stepped forward, and she bowed even though she knew that the woman wouldn’t be able to see her. “Hello, my lady.” She said, praying that Maggie wouldn’t freak out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, but not Sorry for the cliffhanger! I’ll see you all on Wednesday. Please leave me a comment letting me know what you think about this so far, and feel free to message me on tumblr if you have any questions. I’m Warriorbard2012 there too. Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So obviously this chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Hopefully it answers some questions that you all may be having about how Alex looks to people out side of the Castle. As always a very special thank you to my Beta for helping me with this. Happy Reading! :)

“Who’s there?” Maggie asked turning around to face the direction where the voice had come from. She saw no one, only a large shadow that shimmered like wisps of smoke in the light of the chandelier overhead. The voice was low and deep, like she would imagined a lion’s to be if they could talk, yet it seemed friendly. 

“It’s Alex, m’lady.” Alex said. “I mean you no harm.” She stood up. 

“Where are you?’ Maggie asked, her eyes wild as she looked toward the shadow. She grew worried as the shadow took a step and she stepped backwards, her fingers itched to grab a sword if it came to that. _I’m not weak or helpless, evil fiend!_

It took a second for her brain to fight through her fear to make sense of what she was seeing, as the shadow seemed to shuffle nervously. “Wait… come into the light?” She whispered, wondering if it was possible... 

Alex frowned. “I cannot m’lady.” She said sadly. “No amount of light will make you see me better.” 

Maggie could hear the sadness in the voice that spoke to her and she realized she was correct in assuming that the shadow in front of her belonged to a person. She relaxed a little. _That’s amazing and yet slightly terrifying. Poor man, that he must be cursed as such. No wonder my father was so vague about his appearance, even his voice is veiled._

Alex grew more nervous as the silence between them grew. “If my form frightens you, m’lady… I apologize. I… I can go.” Alex sighed, and turned around. _I knew this was a mistake._

“No, No… I’m sorry.” Maggie quickly apologized, realizing that the Lord had interpreted her thinking as disgust. Now what Kara said about Alex being nervous about people make sense. _No wonder he must be feared wherever he goes, or worse, no one knows that he is there._ “Please stay, I’m sorry if my silence had offended you, m’lord. I was just thinking.” 

She saw the shadow step closer. She tried to think of something that would make them both relax. “Your blacksmith is very good.” She said, grabbing a sword that was hanging nearby. She ran her finger over the leather work on the scabbard. 

Alex relaxed a little. “Thank you. I made most of the ones in here.” 

Maggie almost dropped the sword on her foot in shock. _What is a Lord doing making weapons… doesn’t he have servants for that kind of thing?_ “You made these?” 

“Yes, and the armor too. I like working the forge, it helps me relax.” Alex said, shyly. “You are free to use anything in here, or my forge anytime… Kara or J’onn can show you where it is, if you would like?” 

“I would like that very much, thank you.” She gave him a small curtesy and Alex blushed. 

“Kara and the cooks are working on a feast for us, can I escort you there? There are some things I need to discuss with you, m’lady.” Alex asked, then held her breath as she waited for Maggie’s answer. 

“Only if you call me, Maggie… m’lord.” She said, shyly. 

“Maggie…” Alex said, loving the way that the name fell off of her tongue. “That’s beautiful.” 

To her surprise, Maggie felt herself blush. “Thank you… m’lord.” 

“Please, it’s Alex… just Alex.” Alex whispered, seeming mesmerized by Maggie’s brown eyes. She stepped closer, attracted to the other woman’s warmth but then realized what she had done and stepped back. She motioned with her hand towards the door. “Ahem...This way, Maggie.” 

Maggie smiled and walked towards the door. It was weird knowing that there was a person behind her, but that she could see nothing, but she quickly got used to it. Kara met them in the hall. 

“Come on, Al… I’m hungry.” Kara said, taking his arm. Maggie realized that while she couldn’t see him, Kara could. That made her feel a little better, knowing that there was at least someone out there that could. 

“I’m coming Sis…” Alex grumbled. She felt Kara’s hand on her back and she felt a little better. _Well at least the first meeting went better than I expected, now I just have to get through the rest of the conditions and I’m home free._ She paused as voice that sounds suspiciously like her mother’s said. _Until you tell her that you’re a woman… she isn’t like you, Alexandra, she wasn’t born different._

Alex pushed the thought away as Kara threaded her arm though hers. She looked over towards Maggie wondering if she should offer her arm to her as well, but the thought of being so close to her made her nervous. 

Maggie watched them silently, stifling a laugh at the sight of Kara’s arm linked with nothing but air. She wanted to ask more about what had happened and why Alex was basically invisible except for the whips of smoke like shadows, but she was scared of bringing up painful memories for the Lord. It was obvious that people reacted badly to him, and that it had made him shy and hesitant in his behavior. _My father was probably one of them… bastard._

They walked in silence toward the dining hall. Two guards stood at the entrance and opened them so they could pass. They bowed slightly to Alex’s form and then smiled at her as she passed. J’onn was waiting for them as well, and he offered his arm to Maggie to escort her to her seat. “M’lady?” He said, and she took his arm. 

“Thank you, Sir.” Maggie said, as J’onn pulled out her chair. 

Alex did the same for Kara and then seated herself in between her sister and Maggie. J’onn stood behind her chair as was customary, but Alex was grateful for his presence. She looked over at Maggie feeling like she was too close, but yet too far away. She shook her head, and took a drink of her wine. 

Soon the servants were bringing out plates of food piled high, and Maggie felt her stomach growl. However it wasn’t the food that caught her attention, it was the way that the servants interacted with Alex. She alternated eating with watching their interactions. As they passed by, it seemed as if each one of them stopped and had a word with their Lord. A few laughed, and some of them told what seemed like a joke back, but all of them left smiling. 

The sight made her heart smile. Everyone seems so relaxed with Alex, and they must be able see him too. _He treats them like old friends instead of slaves...He is unlike any Lord I’ve ever met or heard of._

But then she remembered that she was suppose to marry him, and her heart sunk. _He may be shy, nervous, and kind-hearted, but he’s still a man. I know nothing about how to please a man, nor do I want to… you shouldn’t let him fool you, Margarita. Once he finds out the truth about you… he wouldn’t want you._ She frowned and picked at the food on her plate, no longer hungry. Kara noticed. 

“Is everything alright, Maggie? I’m sorry… I should have asked if you have any dietary restrictions before I had our cook make this meal. Would you like something else?” Kara said, kindly. 

“No, No! I’m fine.” Maggie said, not wanting to give her host the impression that she didn’t like the food. She did, but she felt tired and she just wanted to be alone for a while. She didn’t want to be rude though and shoved another bite of the meat pie into her mouth. 

“Maybe you should let her rest, m’lady.” J’onn whispered to Alex’s ear. “I’m sure this is hard for her, leaving her home and her life.” 

“But we need to talk about the wedding and everything that her father forgot…” Alex replied. 

“And you will, just not tonight. Give her a chance to get used to this place and to our way of life, and give her a chance to mourn the lost of her own.” 

“You are right… as usual.” She grumbled playfully, and she heard J’onn laugh as he withdrew back to his place. 

“My Lady… I mean, Maggie. If you are feeling unwell, I can have M’gann show you to your room… that way if you want you can unpack and settle in and we can talk tomorrow?” Alex stammered nervously. 

“I um… if you are sure my Lord.. I’m kind of tired.” Maggie was grateful that he seemed to understand. 

“Of course.” She motioned a woman forward, she had been hanging around the back of the room and had been directing the other servants around. She was around the same age as J’onn, with a lighter skin tone, and strong features. Maggie though she was very beautiful, and she smiled as she caught J’onn winking at the woman as she passed. 

“This is M’gann.” Alex said. “She has agreed to be your matron for as long as you are here. She will escort you to your room, and she can get you whatever it is that you desire.” Then Alex stood, and Maggie could finally tell by the shadow that Alex was bowing towards her. “Have a good night, m’lady. I wish you rest.” 

“Good night m’lord… m’lady.” She said, curtsying to Alex and Kara. M’gann motioned towards the door, and Maggie nodded and followed as the lady lead her out of the room. Alex watched her go, and when the door shut, Alex let out a long breath. 

Kara giggled. “You like her already don’t you.” She said, teasingly. “It doesn’t matter if I like her or not… when she finds out the truth about who and what I am… she won’t stay. No one ever does.” Alex said softly. “I’m only delaying the enviable.” She stood up and pushed her plate back. Sighing she kissed the top of Kara’s head. “I’m sorry that we ruined your dinner, Sis… apologize to Winn for me, please. I’m just not very hungry.” Alex said, walking towards the door opposite of the one that Maggie had left by. Both J’onn and Kara watched her go and then they turned and looked at each other. 

“What’s wrong with her?” Kara asked softly. 

“I think that our guest’s presence shook her up more than she expected… I think that she was so focused on protecting Maggie from her father by offering to marry her, that she forgot about how she would feel about the whole thing. I don’t think your sister expected to like her as much as she is.” 

Kara frowned. All she wanted was for Alex to be happy. “You should follow her… you know how she gets on nights when she feels like this.” 

“I know, and don’t worry. I won't let anything happen to her. Have a good night, Little Bean.” He gave her a hug. She held him tightly for a second. 

“Good night, Papa Bear.” She said, before letting him go. As she watched him leave, she prayed that this time all of their prayers would be answered and that her sister would find her hope again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the response on the last chapter was overwhelming in a good way, and I appreciate all of the comments that you all left. I’m really enjoying writing this so I’m happy to see that you all are enjoying reading it as well. Please let me know what you think about this chapter by leaving a comment or a kudos. Also if you want to talk about this story, my writing or about life in general please feel free to message me on tumblr. As always thank you for reading! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always a special thank you to my beta, for helping me with this chapter. Happy Reading :)

J’onn found Alex in her forge, hammering a piece of steel on an anvil into what would be a shield. She had stripped down into just a long sleeve cotton shirt, a pair of thin breeches and her apron. Her body was soaked with sweat, both from the excretion and the heat of the fire. She looked strong and beautiful, like a fire goddess, and he smiled sadly. He was proud of her, but his heart ached to see her with so much pain and confusion. 

“Al?” He said, at the door, not wanting to scare her or distract her from what she was doing. 

“I don’t want to talk right now, Papa Bear.” Her body tensed at his voice. He heard her growl softly and he took a small step back. The beast inside of her wasn’t a part of the witch’s curse, but instead was a gift from her father, passed down through her bloodline. Once upon a time, their family had been blessed by the gods with the power to transform into the beast to help protect the people of their kingdom. But as it passed down through the generations, the power had lessened. Instead the beast lived inside, allowing Alex to tap into its power when she needed it. The beast was also in a way an extension of her personality, when her emotions ran high, the beast was aroused. 

“Ok, I’ll just be here if you need me.” He said, standing by the door. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes and just waited. The sounds of the hammer striking metal, the soft roar of the forge fire and Alex’s soft grunts as she moved and shaped the metal provided the soundtrack to a relaxing doze. 

A few minutes after the sounds stopped he opened his eyes and looked up to make sure that Alex was ok. She was leaning over a table, charcoal in hand, working on a sketch. “J’onn?” She asked, and he took it as his cue that she was safe to approach. 

He came closer and looked over her shoulder and the paper in front of her. It was a sword, and on paper it was beautiful. 

“What’s this?” He asked, putting a hand on her back. She leaned into the touch, and he smiled, seeing that she was a lot more relaxed than she had been. 

“A sword… I figured I can make one for Maggie. As an apology, for everything.” Alex said softly. 

“I’m not sure that an apology is necessary, but I’m sure she’ll love it regardless.” 

“I’m not going to make it yet, I just wanted you to see it. I was going to offer your services to her for sparring, see what she likes and what she can handle before I make it.” 

“Why me, Dearheart... if you don’t mind me asking?” 

Alex turned around and leaned her back against the table, and sighed. She was feeling tired and her shoulders ached. “You know why… it’s not a fair fight if she can’t see me or my blade.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked. 

“Not really. A part of me is dreading the conversation tomorrow, while the other part of me is upset with dragging this out. Is it fair to her, to give her a taste of this life and then throw her into a flux tomorrow? Plus now she knows about me, about us… will she tell people? The villagers have all but forgotten us here. Except for the few stragglers that come onto our land, no one comes this way anymore. What if she leaves and she goes back to the village and tells everyone about this place… about me… about Kara?” 

J’onn could sense her anxiety was growing with every sentence and he put his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry so much, Dearheart. I have a feeling that Maggie isn’t going to be like that. I mean she didn’t cower in your presence like most people do, she was kind and respectful. Give her a chance, Al… she might surprise you.” 

Alex shrugged, but she gave J’onn a small smile. She turned back to table and they looked over her drawing once more. 

**————————————————-**

Maggie laid down on the bed, and sighed. The bed was so fluffy it felt like a cloud. 

“Comfortable?” M’gann said, smiling. She grabbed a log from the stack to add to the fire. 

“Yes. I’ve never seen a bed like this.” Maggie said. Her old bed had been made of straw and had made her itch every time her Father had added more. 

“Goose feathers. They land on the lake every year, which makes them easy to hunt.” 

“This place is different than I was expecting.” Maggie said, sitting up to watch M’gann move around the room. “I was expecting cobwebs and ghosts.” 

M’gann laughed. “Alex would have a fit and be scrambling around dusting everything if there was cobwebs and I feel like we have enough supernatural activity going on without adding ghosts.” 

Maggie was silent at that, she had a lot of questions, but she wasn’t sure where to start. 

“It all seems like a dream. One evening, I’m taking care of my father and the next I’m about to be a wife for a Lord, and living in a Castle.” 

“It will take some getting used too, but we are all here to help you, Alex included. Alex is different as you know.” 

“How did it happen?” Maggie finally asked the question that had been on her mind all day. 

“The curse?” Maggie nodded. “Well, much of that story is for Alex alone to tell but the basics are that Kara was adopted by the Danvers when Alex was 14, after Kara’s family was killed. The poor girl was only ten. Some of the other kingdoms raised a fuss since they had wanted the girl for themselves since she was the heir to a large fortune. While the Danvers had no need for Kara’s money, they had wanted her to grow up in a loving home with family instead of just being a pawn. One of the other Kings took an exception to that, and had sent a witch to curse Kara. It almost worked, except that at the last second, Alex jumped in the way of the Witch’s wand, and absorbed the full effect of the curse.” 

“Can it be broken?” Maggie asked quietly. 

M’gann frowned sadly. “It can, But Alex has given up hope that it ever will be, and that is all that I will say.” 

Maggie nodded, not wanting to push. “Thank you for telling me.” 

“Thank you for asking and for being polite about it. The last time we had a guest here, the man called Alex a monster, after he tried to steal from us.” 

“Let me guess, that was my father right?” Maggie said, knowing how her father treated everyone. 

“Yes, he had gotten lost in the woods during the storm. He had knocked on the main gate and with Alex’s permission we let him in. We gave him food and shelter and a bed for the evening. He never once said thank you and complained that the Lord of the manor should have met him. The next morning, Alex caught him trying to steal a rare rose from the garden.” 

“Sounds like my Father… and let me guess my father offered my hand in payment of his debt.” Maggie rolled her eyes. _How typical. And Alex just agrees as if I’m a prize to be won._

M’gann nodded. “He did and Alex accepted, but not for the reasons that you think. But I’ve said too much and I really should leave that story for Alex. Now, are you comfortable?” 

“I guess.” Maggie said, unhappily. 

M’gann smiled at her. “Don’t fret on it too much dear. Alex will explain more in the morning. If you need anything during the night don’t hesitate to ask. Good night, Maggie.” 

“Good night.” Maggie said yawning. She watched M’gann leave and then closed her eyes. Soon she was asleep. 

**—————————-**

After J’onn had escorted her back to her room and took his leave, Alex sighed and adjusted her position in her bed, unhappily. Her body was sore and tired, but her mind was wide awake. She thought about Maggie and how beautiful she looked in her dress. She dreaded the morning and she tried to stamp out all feelings of hope that maybe Maggie would grow to like her. _There is no sense in thinking like that Alex, she won’t stay._

But there was a part of her that dreamed about what the future, a future when the curse was broken and Maggie was by her side. It was scary to her how much she liked the other woman after meeting her. It felt like a part of her had come home, after years of being lost out at sea. 

Sighing with despair, she closed her eyes, and tried to sleep. She opened them again a few minutes later when she heard the door connecting her room to her sister’s open. They still held the same quarters they did when they were younger. Alex hadn’t wanted to move into the royal chambers yet, as they held too many memories of her parents. _How many mornings did I spend rushing into their room and jumping on their bed. Dad would grab me by the hips and lift me up, laughing. Mom would just shake her head at us, but then she would hold me close and tickle my nose with her hair, before she kissed my cheeks. I miss that._ She pushed the memories away, feeling tears spring up in the back of her eyes. She willed herself not to shed them. 

She sat up and rubbed her face. “Kara?” Kara moved closer, and Alex saw that she was crying. “Hey.” She said softly, holding out her hand to grab her sister’s. “What’s wrong?” 

“I had a nightmare…. can I stay with you?” Kara sniffled, and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her night shirt. There were times that Alex caught glimpse of the scared and sad child that had come to them in the night all those many years ago, bearing a burden that no one ever should. 

“Of course.” Alex held open her blanket and let Kara crawl in next to her. Kara snuggled up to her side and Alex wrapped her arms around her. “Want to talk about it?” 

“It’s the same as always.” Kara whispered, and Alex winced. Kara had nightmares about Alex getting cursed and Jeremiah’s death. _Not mention the standard ones of watching her parents die._

“It’s not your fault you know.” Alex reassured her. 

“I’m the one that showed my powers, trying to impress James… if I hadn’t your father would still be alive and you wouldn’t be cursed.” _So it was me, that you were dreaming about… how many times to I have to tell you that it isn’t your fault, Little Bean?_

“The only person who’s fault it is, is the witch that chose to cast the curse. I don’t blame you, Mother doesn’t either.” _No, Mother blames me instead._ Alex sighed. 

“Have you heard from her lately?” Kara asked delicately, thinking about the letter that she had gotten a few weeks back. Alex hadn’t mentioned getting one. 

Eliza was a sore subject for the eldest Danvers sister. Unable to deal with Jeremiah’s death and Alex’s curse, she had returned to her Father’s kingdom, and had remarried. She visited every once in a while and usually wrote to Kara, occasionally Alex, but Alex was usually ignored when she was here. 

“No.” Alex said, and she looked down at the blanket and pulled on a piece of frayed thread. 

Kara was sorry that she brought it up. She curled closer to Alex, and sighed. “Good night, Al. I love you.” 

“I love you too. Good night, Sis.” Alex sighed. Kara laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. After a while, Alex could hear her snoring and she rolled her eyes playfully. 

For Alex however sleep was very hard to come by, as her mind just wouldn’t stop filling her head with images of Maggie leaving and her mother’s cold regards. It wasn’t until the first glimpse of dawn on the horizon that she was finally able to close her eyes and she fell into a fitful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’ve been getting some rude anon messages on tumblr complaining about which stories I’ve been updating. And they have really made it hard to write anything this week. So this is just a friendly reminder that I’m doing this because I love it, and I do this on the side while working a full time job. I try to devote my time to finishing every story that I write, but some plots are easier to find the headspace and time to write than others. I promise that I will update and finish each story that I’ve started, but it’s my decision what I post when. Sending me rude messages doesn’t make me post anything any faster. 
> 
> Ok, rant over. Thank you to everyone who left a comment on the last chapter. I’m really glad that everyone is enjoying this story as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.  
> Let me know what you think about this chapter by leaving a comment below, and I’ll see you all next week for Part 6. Have a great week and thank you for reading. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a longer chapter... I couldn’t find a good place to cut it. Alex and Maggie get to talk in this one, oh and there is a flashback where Alex’s has a panic attack. So read with caution if this is triggering for you. As always any mistakes are my own. Happy Reading! :)

Maggie woke early and panicked seeing that it was already past dawn. _Father is going to kill me._ She jumped out of bed and went to dress for the day, when she stopped and realized that she wasn’t at home. She looked around as her heart raced. 

White stone walls reflected the morning light that was streaming through the windows, casting everything in a pink glow. She wiggled her toes in the soft fur rug and sat back down on the bed as her brain remembered. _Oh yeah, I’m at the Castle… Alex._

Getting up once again she went over to the wash basin and splashed water on her face, hoping it would help feel a bit more awake than she had been. A knock at the door startled her, and with a shaky voice she called out. “Come in?” 

M’gann peeked her head into the room and when she saw that Maggie was up she moved into the room and quickly closed the door. Maggie noticed she was carrying a tray and that something smelled delicious. 

“Good morning.” M’gann said, smiling as she set the tray down on the table in the center of the room. 

“Good morning.” Maggie said, slipping behind the screen to change from her sleep shirt into another dress from her bag. This time it was green, and Maggie loved it because Emily always told her that it made her hair and skin stand out and her brown eyes seemed to sparkle. 

“Did you sleep well?” M’gann asked, as she removed the covered dishes from the tray and arranged them on the table. She watched as Maggie came out dressed in a beautiful dress. It was Alex’s favorite color, and she suppressed a smile as she thought about what the young girl was going to do when she saw Maggie dressed up like this. 

“I did, that bed should be illegal it’s so comfortable. I woke up late… did I miss breakfast?” Maggie said, sitting down wondering why M’gann had brought her a tray. 

“Actually, you are the only one who is up… I was going to go check on Alex and Kara, but I think that I’ll give them a few minutes. Our cook, Winn, thought that you might be hungry so he wanted to treat you to breakfast in bed.” 

Maggie smiled at the kindness and took a deep breath in. She could smell bacon and eggs and fresh bread with fresh buttermilk. She pulled off the covers off of the dishes, and licked her lips. “It looks and smells good.” 

M’gann smiled, and stood up. “Today is laundry day. If you have anything that needs washed or mended, I can take it for you.” 

Maggie winced. “I can take care of that… there’s no need to trouble yourself.” 

“It’s no trouble honest.” M’gann looked at her curiously, wondering why the woman looked nervous. “But if you would like to do your own laundry, I can show you where it is. But I know that Alex had some plans with you for the day.” 

Maggie sighed and decided to be honest. “I don’t believe in having slaves or servants. I’ve noticed that Alex treats you all really well, but I refuse to be a part of it.” She was surprised to see M’gann smiling at her. “What?” 

“You and Alex are a lot more alike than you think. Alex doesn’t keep slaves or servants in the traditional sense of the word… we are all hired men and woman. I’m the head Housekeeper and my husband is the Captain of the Guard. Everyone who works here gets paid a wage for their services and gets free room and board.” 

Maggie’s face reddened. “I’m sorry.” 

“There’s no need to apologize. This world would be a better place if more people thought like you. Now that being said, do you have any laundry?” 

Maggie nodded and pointed to the pile she had left behind the screen the night before. “Thank you.” 

“Anytime. Now, I’ll be back to take your dishes and to chat. I’m going to go check on Alex and Kara. Be back soon.” M’gann said picking up the dress and underthings from the day before and folding them over her arm. Maggie watched her go, wondering if she was still dreaming. This all seemed to be too good to be true. 

**—————————**

M’gann knocked on Kara’s door and when after a minute no one answered she moved onto Alex’s door. J’onn had come to bed late, which meant that Alex had stayed up late. Her heart went out to her friend, knowing that Alex was having a hard time dealing with her feelings for the woman that was staying with them. 

M’gann didn’t knock but instead she quietly opened the door and peeked her head inside. Alex was still sleeping, clutching the pillow as if it were a lifeline. Her face was tense even in sleep and M’gann’s heart went out to her. 

Kara was awake and was sitting quietly by the fire, reading. Every once in a while she would look over at her sister’s form, as if making sure that she was still sleeping. 

Kara felt M’gann’s presence and looked over at her with a finger to her lips. She motioned for her to come inside. M’gann quietly entered the room and moved over to where Kara was sitting. “Good morning.” Kara whispered. 

“Good morning. Is everything ok?” M’gann asked. 

“Yes. I had a nightmare and slept in here… I think Alex couldn’t sleep though, you know how she gets when she gets worried.” 

“I do… poor girl. Maggie’s awake, though. I just thought you should know. In case she decides she wants to explore.” 

“She is?” Kara whispered excitedly, putting down her book. “I was waiting for her!” 

M’gann smiled and laughed. “Go, I’ll bring your breakfast up in a minute.” Kara jumped up and raced down the hall. M’gann watched her go and then moved closer to the bed. Alex shifted slightly, and M’gann saw her frown in her sleep. Gently she pulled the blanket over Alex’s shoulders and laid it smoothly on top of her, tucking her in a little bit more. 

Everyone tried to be a little bit more tactile with Alex, touching her politely in whatever way they could. As expected, Alex had a lot of anxiety when it came to her invisibility, so everyone who could see her used touch to reassure her that they could in fact see her. __

_M’gann has been furious to find Alex in her room one night curled up in the corner, rocking back and forth. Eliza had been visiting and as usual had ignored her eldest child. Alex hadn’t seemed to let it bother her when Eliza was around, but at night when everyone was asleep, she had let her true feelings show._

_M’gann had been walking by on her way to meet J’onn in their room, when she had a faint noise come from behind Alex’s door. It seemed different than the nightly noises that Alex normally made as she moved around the room and it made her curious. M’gann went over to the door, and knocked._

_Alex didn’t answer, but the noise happened again, and it sounded like someone gasping for breath. M’gann opened the door, slowly not wanting intrude on Alex’s privacy. Alex’s room was dark and M’gann opened the door a little wider to get a better look. When no one answered again, she stepped inside and looked for Alex. “Princess?” She called out. It was then that she heard a sniffle from the darkest corner of the room._

_“Alex?” She asked moving closer. Alex was in the corner with her cloak wrapped around her. She was rocking back and forth and appeared to be in the midst of a full blown panic attack. “Al…” M’gann moved to pull the younger woman into her arms. “It’s ok. I’m here.”_

_“Mama?” Alex whispered. And M’gann’s heart broke._

_“No, child. It’s M’gann. Just breathe for me ok?”_

_Alex started sobbing. “You...You can see me right?”_

_M’gann hugged her tighter. “Yes, Al… I can see you. It’s alright.”_

_Alex curled up into M’gann’s chest and cried. M’gann just held her, providing a mother’s touch since her own refused too. Soon Alex was sound asleep, her fist curled in M’gann’s shirt as she nestled into M’gann’s lap. M’gann had stayed there until J’onn found her hours later, wondering where she was._

_“Love?” He asked, then he found them sitting together. “Oh.”_

_“She cried herself to sleep, the poor thing.” M’gann whispered. “Can you carry her to bed?”_

_“Of course.” J’onn carried the sleeping woman to her bed and then helped his wife up off of the floor._

_“What happened?” He asked softly, grabbing her hand._

_“She had a panic attack. She wondered if we could see her.” She said softly, even the diminished volume didn’t hide the venom in her voice. “If the woman wasn’t the Queen, I would give her a piece of my mind. In fact, I might.”_

_J’onn shook his head. “You know it wouldn’t do any good. I’ve tried talking to her, but she just blows me off. We’d be better off trying to make it up to Alex instead of wasting our time with Eliza.”_

_“Call everyone for a meeting tomorrow… if Eliza is going to ignore Alex, I’ll make sure that we don’t.”_

The meeting with the rest of the Castle Staff went well. Everyone agreed that they would start paying more attention to addressing Alex as a person and not just a image of her station. They all made effort to prove to her that she was seen and heard, and in turn they discovered that Alex made a better effort to communicate with them. 

The Castle was more productive and happier than it had been under any other ruler, and M’gann thanked the gods for granting them the ability to take a crap situation and making the most out of it. 

But still her heart went out to the woman in front of her… she wished with all of her heart that the curse would soon be broken. 

Bending down to kiss Alex’s forehead, she turned and gathered up Alex’s dirty clothes and left the room in silence. 

**—————————-**

Kara knocked on Maggie’s door and waited impatiently for the woman to answer. “Maggie?” She asked knocking again. 

“Coming.” Maggie said, with a small smile as she opened the door. Kara practically bounced into the room. 

“Good morning.” Maggie said, shyly. 

“Good morning!” Kara said. “I was waiting for you to get up. It’s going to be a great day.” She walked over to the table and sat down. “Your dress is really pretty.” 

Maggie laughed, loving how enthusiastic the girl was when she was excited about something. “Thank you.” Maggie said, going back to her breakfast. “I love your dress too.” 

Kara was wearing a cream colored dress that made her blue eyes sparkle and accented her golden hair. Kara beamed at the compliment. She nodded at her tray. “Did you enjoy your breakfast?” 

“Yes. Your cook is very good.” Maggie said though a mouthful of bread. 

“Thanks. He’s my best friend. He was brought her around the same time I was, and we sorted of bonded over being the new kids. His mom was our cook until she died, and then we kind of took him in. If Alex doesn’t keep you busy all day, I can take you to meet him if you would like?” 

“Sure.” Maggie said, eager to make new friends. She took another bite of Eggs. Then she turned to Kara. 

“Um, where’s Alex?” Maggie asked shyly. 

Kara’s smile faded a little. “Still sleeping… we both had kind of a rough night.” 

“Oh?” Maggie asked curiously. 

“I still get nightmares sometimes. The only thing that keeps them from coming back is having Alex there.” 

Maggie remembered what M’gann had said about her parents and her heart went out to the girl. 

“I’m sorry. M’gann mentioned something about your parents dying when you were little. I’m sorry for your loss.” She said. 

Kara smiled sadly. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I miss them very much, but having Alex here helps.” 

Maggie sighed. “He seems like a good brother, and a good leader.” 

“Alex is… you won’t find a better person for all the gold in the world.” 

**———————————-**

Alex woke up slowly. A bird was perched just outside her window and she could hear it singing softly as she slowly came back to reality. She yawned and stretched and then sat up, feeling a slight ache in her shoulders. 

She pulled back the covers and stood up and walked over to the bathing area to take care of her business. Then she got dressed. Alex was just pulling on her boots when J’onn entered quietly. “Good morning, Princess.” He said, grinning like a fool. 

“Morning… you look happy.” She teased. 

“I am, thank you very much. Fira had her foal this morning. It’s a boy, and he will make a fine mate for the rest of newborns that have been born this spring. I’m excited for what the breeding program will become in the future.” He bounced a little as if it was his own baby that he been born. 

“That is good news. I know you had high hopes for Fira having a boy. Have you named him?” 

“Starfire.” 

“Ooh, I like it.” Alex said, getting up to give her friend a hug. “Congratulations.” 

“Thank you. Now, I believe that your sister and our guest are having breakfast in Maggie’s room. Would you like to join them?” J’onn asked quietly. 

“Not really, but I know that I must.” Alex said, feeling resigned to her fate. 

“Chin up, Dearheart. I like the girl… she seems far nicer than others we have had here in the past.” 

Alex winced thinking of Max… _what a disaster he turned out to be._ “It’s hard to be worse than Max was, so I guess there is always some hope.” 

J’onn patted her back. “That’s the spirit… Shall we?” He motioned for the door and at Alex’s nod he walked over and held it out for her. _Alright here we go._

**————————**

Maggie sat quietly letting Kara eat her food, until the idea of what was to come became too heavy for her mind to focus on. Then she got up and wandered over to the window and looked out over the countryside. A knock at the door startled her and she about tripped over her dress in her effort to get over to it to open it. 

Her brain stood there a for a second, taking in J’onn hovering next to what seemed like nothing, but then she remembered and blushed in embarrassment. 

“Good morning Maggie.” Alex said breathlessly. She had been distracted by the vision of Maggie in that dress to pay any attention to how Maggie had been spooked for a second there. 

“Good morning, my… Alex.” Maggie said, with a slight curtsy. 

“I apologize for the lateness of the hour of my appearance this morning. I...um…” She paused and rubbed the back of her neck. _How do I tell her it was the thought of talking to her that kept me up all night._

Maggie smiled at him. “No need to worry, Kara explained and it’s perfectly alright. Would you like to come in?” 

“Yes, please… I mean. Only if you aren’t busy.” Alex stammered. Maggie knew that she couldn’t see him, but she pictured him blushing right about now. 

“Not at all.” She stood aside to let him pass. She could feel the air move around them as he stepped by her and she stifled a gasp. 

Alex felt the warmth of her body as she passed by, and it brought a flush to her cheeks. She smelled good, like fresh spring rain, and the thought made her blush harder. 

She waved at Kara who got up and pulled out a chair for her. She waited to sit down though, until Maggie sat first. 

“Did you eat already, Alex?” Kara asked, seeing the tension on Alex’s face now that she was seated. Alex shook her head. Sighing she got up, and kissed the top of her sister’s head. “I’ll be back shortly.” 

Alex watched her go and then cleared her throat. 

“I wanted a chance to explain… and I apologize for keeping you in the dark about things.” Alex started. “Everything happened so fast… and I was under the impression that your father had told you the conditions of our betrothal. And I know it’s no excuse…” 

“Alex.” Maggie said softly, interrupting the Lord’s nervous ramble. “It’s ok.” She would have reached to touch his arm, but she didn’t know how that would be perceived, so she let her voice provide a calming touch. “Just take a deep breath and start over.” 

Alex did, and she sighed. “Your Father was lost and I gave him sanctuary here. My servants made sure that he was given a good meal and a bed, as well as breakfast. We never showed him ourselves… as is our way, but we made sure he didn’t want for anything.” Alex paused. “He was rather rude, and complained that he was a man of great importance and that I should have come down to meet him. Maybe he was right…” 

Maggie could hear the loathing in his voice and she frowned. She could understand Alex’s hesitation at not wanting to be seen. _My Father would have ripped him apart with his venomous words._ She was about to tell him that when Alex continued. 

“Anyway, when morning came he didn’t leave. Instead he stayed and wandered the grounds… I was content to leave him be, but he tried to take a blossom off one of my rose plants. They were planted by my grandmother and are one of kind. It upset me that we had provided for him and he repays me by stealing something from me.” 

“Understandable.” Maggie said, wanting Alex to know that she was listening. 

“I lost my temper and I grabbed him by the throat. I asked him what reason he would give me that would be good enough for me to spare his life. He said that he had a daughter.” Maggie winced. _I bet he did._

“I let him go thinking he was going to tell me that he stole the rose as a gift for you or that you were young too young to be without a father. Instead he offered me your hand. Told me that you were young and beautiful and of childbearing age. I was kind of shocked.” 

Maggie felt her temper rise… she really hoped that Alex had a good reason for accepting her father’s offer or she was going to lose it. 

“I asked your father why you weren’t married yet. He told me that you had refused all suitors and he had yet to find someone willing to take you on…” 

“So you thought that you would be the one…” Maggie snapped. After the words left her mouth, she clapped her hands over her mouth. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s ok. I know this is frustrating for you… and my present situation doesn’t give much hope. Anyway, I said all of that to tell you this.. I agreed to marry you in order to give you the choice that our society doesn’t give women. I told your father that I would marry you on Two conditions… the first was that I pay the price we agreed on in three parts. The first was to be paid at the time of agreement. The second part would come when he brought you here and the third part depended on you. “ Alex paused, and crossed her arms across her chest, trying to hold her emotions in. 

“Which brings me to the second condition… I told your father that I would have you live here with me for the next three months, so that we could get to know each other. If you want to marry me after that, then I’ll pay your father twice the amount agreed upon. But if you choose to leave, then I’ll pay your father triple the remaining price and you’ll be free from both of us.” Alex said, with hardly any breath. She could already see that Maggie was upset about this and she closed her eyes and added the final part. “What I didn’t tell him was that if you chose to leave, I’ll give you whatever you want or need to make a fresh start, and I’ll pay you the bride price that I paid your father in full.” 

Maggie sat in stunned silence. Of all the ways that she had been expecting this to go, she had not foreseen this as a possibility. _Who was this man that he would give me freedom far beyond that I ever thought possible._ “But why? Why agree to marry me and then let me go?” Maggie didn’t know what she was complaining for but she just didn’t understand. 

“Because everyone should have a choice… this is my gift to you. Decide for yourself who you want to be, what you want to do with your live… no one should be forced to live in a certain way because someone else chose it for them…” Alex said, referring to the curse that masked her very identity. Maggie understood. 

“Wow…, um, thank you.” Maggie said, meaning it. She had more to say but she couldn’t find the words. The room felt into an awkward silence until Alex cleared her throat. 

“You’re welcome….However to be clear, I meant it when I told your father that I was pledging my faithfulness to you. As long as you are in this house and under my protection, I promise that I will not take advantage, nor will I entertain other passions. We will continue to sleep apart and you will be treated as a guest in my home. If you want anything, you have but to ask. Anything I have is yours.” Alex stood up. She walked over to the door feeling the beast clawing at her chest. She felt nervous and edgy and she wanted to escape before she made an even bigger fool of herself. 

She paused at the threshold and turned around remembering. “Before I forget, My captain has expressed an interest in sparring with you today if you are up to it. He will be by about high noon. Good day, my lady.” Alex said bowing. She was gone before Maggie could even say anything. 

She opened her mouth to call him back, but then she sighed knowing she had made a mess of things. Kara came back a few moments later to find her sitting with her head in her hands. 

“Hey, where did Al go?” Kara asked setting down a plate of food. 

“He basically ran away… I think I made a mess of things.” 

“Maybe you should start from the beginning?” Kara said, sitting down. 

Maggie sighed and then told Kara everything that had happened since she had left the room. 

“It was my idea to have Alex agree to marry you.” Kara confessed. 

“Really? Why?” 

“Because if your father was willing to treat a house full of strangers the way he treated us, I was worried that he wasn’t treating you very nicely. Alex wanted to give you a choice and to keep you safe. The way your father’s eye lit up, he would have given you away to the first man with enough money to pay what he thought he deserved for you. Alex wanted to protect you from getting somebody worse, I think.” 

“But why would he care… being the property of your husband or father isn’t just an idea that a man can grasp.” 

Kara knew that her sister knew that better than most because of Max. Kara had hated Max, mostly because he had seemed like a good match for her sister at first, but at the end he hurt her, and Kara would never forgive him for that. 

He had been kind friend to Alex and had been interested in the plans she had to better their kingdom, but after Jeremiah died and the witch cast her curse, he had shown his true colors. Finding him in another woman’s bed had been enough grounds to break off the engagement, but he had caused far more damage with his words and callous behavior. He had called Alex a monster, and that she deserved to remain in the shadows forever because who would ever want to get close to a ‘frigid ice bitch’ anyway, her money was the only thing interesting about her. 

Kara had wanted to turn him into a frog, but Alex told her to let it go. So she did. Alex had the privilege of being a ruler, which meant that her spouse would be under her command. But she still had almost been trapped by society into being stuck with a bastard for the rest of her life all because her father had willed it. 

“Maybe… but Alex does care.” Kara said quietly. “Now it sounds to me like you could use some fresh air… how about a walk in the garden?” 

“Sure.” Maggie agreed taking Kara’s arm. _Maybe we will run into Alex there... he sure seemed in a hurry to leave, maybe Kara can give me some advice on how to talk to him. I think I owe him an apology._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. I’m really been enjoying reading what you all think so far. You all are amazing and I appreciate your support on this so much. This has been really fun to write. Thanks for reading :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, I’ve been having issues with my internet. Happy Reading! :)

Maggie breathed heavily as she raised her sword to block J’onn’s swing. **Klang!** The sound of metal hitting metal rang out across the small practice yard. She knew that the Captain was taking it easy on her, he was obviously a professional. But she was appreciating the workout. 

He swung again and she twisted away to avoid getting hit in the face by his elbow, and tried to find a gap in his defense. There was none, he met her blow for blow, thrust for thrust. Soon her own sword was flung across the yard as he tricked her into falling into this trap. Maggie found herself on the ground, the flat of the blade against her cheek. Maggie tapped her fingers against his side and he stood up. 

She got to her feet, grinning like a fool. “That was fun.” 

“It was.. Thank you. You have the potential to make a good squire.” He said, setting his sword on the bench. M’gann had brought out a pitcher of water for them earlier and he poured a cup for Maggie and handed it to her. 

Maggie’s grin grew brighter for a second, then dimmed. “If only I was a boy. My father always said that it was a damn shame that the gods made me a girl… my talent was wasted.” 

J’onn frowned. “Forgive me for saying so, but your father was a fool. Women can fight just as well as men, if not more so. You’re smaller and faster and with training you might give me a run for my money. I can teach you if you would like.” 

Maggie was about to say no, then she remembered that she didn’t answer to her father anymore and Alex had told her to decide for herself what she wanted to do. “I would like that, thank you.” She said, taking a drink. 

“Good, let me check Alex’s schedule and we’ll set a time.” 

“Where is he anyway?” Maggie looked around, hoping to find him. She remembered to look for the wisps of smoke that both cloaked and signaled Alex’s form. 

“The forge probably… that’s usually where Alex goes to think.” 

“He must think a lot based upon the size of your armory.” Maggie joked, getting a small smile out of her new friend. 

“True… Alex goes there to escape from the world mostly.” He paused and looked at her for a moment, visibly debating whether or not he wanted to say what he was going to say or not. 

“Alex should be the one to tell you this, but I know that if I waited for Alex to say something you would be my age before it ever happened. The curse… I know that my wife explained some of what happened, but you deserve to know more.” He sat down on the grass in the shade and motioned for Maggie to do the same. 

“Alex was seventeen when the King died. The same rival king who sent the witch to curse Kara sent an assassin to end the Danvers family. He was caught, before he could harm anybody else, but it was too late for the King. The curse was suppose to erase Kara’s identity so that the rival king could use her as a puppet and have access to her fortune. But Alex jumped in the way. The curse erases any trace of who they are on the outside, their looks their voice and makes it so only shadow is seen. It was supposed to be permanent…” He paused and took a sip of water. 

Maggie asked. “But it’s not?” 

“No. Luckily for Alex the family knew a powerful witch, who was able to cast a counter-curse, one that allows those close to Alex see them, and the counter-curse makes it breakable. But that’s for Alex to tell, the point that I want to make is that for the past four years, Alex has struggled to be seen. Even as an invisible shadow people still see what they want, and they don’t see Alex for who they really are.” 

“I did that…” Maggie said sadly. “I thought that Alex was just every other man that my Father had pushed my way. That my life here would be like living in a gilded cage… but then Alex gave me something that nobody else in my life has given me, the power to make a choice. To choose what I want to do with my life.” She paused. 

“I got upset with him and I know that I hurt him. How do I fix that?” Maggie asked. 

“Well, I think if you do something to show that you care, it could make all the difference in the world.” J’onn said, smiling. 

“What does he do after working at the forge?” Maggie asked. 

“Usually Alex gets a snack and goes and sits by the lake for a while, before tonight’s weekly meeting with the staff and dinner.” J’onn suggested. He watched as Maggie’s face lit up. She stood up. 

“How much time do I have before he leaves?” Maggie asked. 

He looked at the sky. “Oh about 20 minutes, I’d say.” 

“Can you make sure that he doesn't leave… I need to do something first.” She started to move towards the door that lead back inside, but then she stopped and turned around. “Thank you… for everything.” 

J’onn smiled and waved her on. He waited for her to disappear inside before laughing to himself. _Dearheart, I believe you have met your match… May the Gods make it so._

**—————————————-**

Alex set down the finished spear tip that she was making on the table, and wiped her face. She felt tried, but most of all her mind just wouldn’t clear. She thought about the conversation that she had with Maggie, and she shook her head. _You are an idiot, Danvers. You should have know that she would have thought that you were just another male after her body… to use at their pleasure._ Max came to mind and it made her sick to think that Maggie thought that she was like that. 

Her engagement to Maxwell Lord, was something that she tried very hard not to think about. Her father had introduced the two of them when she was 16, and she had agreed to the match because she had found him funny and charming. He was smart, and he didn’t seem to talk down to her like everyone else usually did. 

He had spent the summer in the castle with her, and while she knew that she liked girls the way that most girls like boys, she tried very hard to like him like that. They had kissed… a lot. But every time Max would pressure her to sleep with him, she would refuse. She knew that she had been delaying the inevitable since their marriage was pretty much set, but she had wanted more time to get herself used to the idea of them being together like that. Max had respected her decision, thinking that it was a purity thing for the gods. He had also promised that he would wait too. _I was so stupid for thinking that… I know that I didn’t really like him like that, but the fact that he had been sleeping with her, while he had been promised to me still tears me up inside._

Alex sighed. He had been there for her when her father had been killed, and he had held her after the curse had been cast and she realized the state that she had been left in. _He said that it didn’t matter than he didn’t see me… that we could work it out. Even after Kara had created the counter-curse, he said that he found find a way to break it. But then…_

James had been meeting with the village elder, and had been preparing to head home, when he spied Max going into the tavern. He had been curious and had followed him inside and then later had followed him to one of the tavern girl’s homes,and had found them in bed together. That was when he had found out that Max had been sleeping with one of the village girls. When James got J’onn and they confronted him at the Castle, rather than face up to his mistake, he had blamed Alex for it. His words had been harsh. He said that if she had paid more attention to his needs, then he wouldn’t have found relief elsewhere, and that she was frigid ice bitch who just needed a good man to straighten her out. He had said a lot more,but Alex pushed those thoughts away. She felt a little bit ill, and got up from the table to get some water. _I makes me sick to think that Maggie thought that I was like that…_

Alex took a drink and then sighed. She had hoped that at the very least her and Maggie could be friends, but right now even that didn’t seem to be possible let alone more. _She thinks you’re a man dont forget… and if you tell her that you’re a woman, she’s just going to run screaming into the night.You’re a damn fool Alexandra._

“Alex!” Kara said for the third time making her jump. 

“What?” Alex said, putting a hand to her chest. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of it. She punched her sister in the shoulder. “Damnit Kara! You almost made me fall into the fire.” 

“I called your name three times! It’s not my fault that you were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t hear me.” Kara said, putting her hands on her hips, and looking every inch the outraged little sister. 

Alex cracked a small smile. “I’m sorry. Did you need me for something? I was just about to get a snack and my book.” It was Kara’s turn to punch her in the arm. 

“Yeah, you would be hungry, since someone skipped breakfast this morning.” Kara said a bit testily. But then her voice soften. “But I understand why you left...Maggie told me what happened.” 

Alex blushed. “So you know that I made an idiot of myself…” 

“No, not an idiot. You told her the truth, no one can fault you for that.” 

“She thought that I was a man like her father and the suitors that her father paraded in front of her, that I would be cruel to her.” Alex said softly. Kara saw a few tears scattered in Alex’s eyelashes before her sister looked away. “She thinks I’m a monster.” 

“No.. Al…” Kara wrapped an arm around her sister’s waist and pulled her closer. Alex turned slightly and rested her head on Kara’s shoulder. “She doesn’t think that. She knows that she overreacted and she would like to apologize. I was told to give you this.” Kara pulled a piece of folded parchment out of her apron and handed it to her sister. 

**Alex, I’m sorry about how I reacted earlier during our conversation. I jumped to conclusions and I know that I hurt you. I would appreciate the opportunity to apologize in person, but I understand if you don't want to see or talk to me until you have more time to process what happened. If you do want to talk, meet me by the lake. I have a surprise waiting for you there. Your friend, Maggie**

“A surprise, huh?” Alex said, wiping her eyes. 

“Yep a surprise. I helped her set it up and I think you are going to like it.” Kara said, winking at her. But then her face grew serious and she grabbed Alex’s hand. “But we both understand if you don't want to. I know this is hard for you, but if you want my option. I really like her, and I think you should give her at least one chance.” She squeezed Alex’ hand and then let it go. “I’ll let you get cleaned up, and leave you be for a while. I love you, Sis.” Kara gave Alex a kiss on the cheek and then walked away. 

Alex watched her leave, and then read the letter again. A part of her wanted to just stay in her forge and let the rest of the world, Maggie and her feelings/crush on the woman be damned, but the other part of her, the beast included knew that hiding wouldn’t solve anything. She looked around the room, at the shadows that the firelight cast on the wall. _I’ve been living here in the darkness for too long, maybe it’s time to live again._

Max’s words ran in her head once more. _“It’s a good thing that you’re a living shadow because that’s the best place for you.Nobody needs to see a monster like you because no one wants a frigid ice bitch anyway. The only thing you have going for you is your money and your title, and neither of them is going to save you. You are going to die, Alexandra.. alone and forgotten. The world will be better for it.”_

She shook her head. _I’m going to prove you wrong, Max… just you wait._

With determination in her step, she left the forge and headed back to her room, hoping that she had time to get cleaned up in order to see what Maggie had for a surprise. 

**———————————**

Maggie fidgeted with the flower in her hand, pulling off the petals one by one. The action reminded her of being a child and, playing games like “He loves me, He loves me not” with the older girls. She knew from a young age that it wasn’t going to be a boy that she would be in love with. She had been five and one of the neighbor girls from her old village had kissed her. She used to tell her mother that she was going to marry that girl one day. Her mother had just dismissed her declarations as childhood nonsense, but Maggie knew that she meant it. 

She was ten, when her mother had first gotten sick. The apothecary who had diagnosed her,said that her health would be better if they left the cold weather and moved further south. Eliza had met her the night before they had left and kissed her again and promised to always remember her. The thought made Maggie smile sadly. _I was so young… I wonder how she’s doing and if it was just a phase for her or if she found the woman of her dreams._

The sound of footsteps coming towards her across the grass made her look up. It was Alex, since she heard footsteps but didn’t see anybody walking towards her. She wondered how long it would for her brain to get used to seeing the smoke instead of a human form. 

“Hey.” Alex said softly coming around the bend. She stopped abruptly seeing what was the surprise was. Maggie had set up a picnic for them, with light snacks and some of the fruit cordial that Alex knew that Winn had been saving. She wondered how the woman had talked him out of it. _Everything was perfect for a nice summer afternoon spent outdoors with a… friend. Or at least I hope._ Alex thought. 

“Hi.” Maggie said, suddenly feeling a little shy. “I’m glad you decided to come. I’m really am sorry about how I reacted. You deserved more than being on the receiving end of my temper for something that you didn’t even do. I hope that you can forgive me, and I hope that maybe we can get to know each other a little better and maybe we can be friends?” 

_To be friends with you would be an honor, and If it’s the least that I can have in this life. I’ll take it. _Alex cleared her throat and said aloud. “I forgive you. I know that this is quite the adjustment and I gave you no reason to think that I would be different than any other...man out there. I apologize for making you think that I…” Alex’s voice trailed off. Maggie figured that if the man was visible, he would be looking at the ground and scuffing his boots in the dirt. _How could I ever think that he would be anything like those other men or my father… he is anything but._ __

__“Hey. It’s alright. I forgive you too.” She paused thinking for a second. “Friends?” She held out her wrist, seeing if he would clasp it in return, a traditional greeting among warriors. She waited for a moment, and even though she expected it, she still jumped when a warm hand covered her wrist. She clasped his own, feeling the muscularity of it, and the softness. His hand was smaller than she had expected it to be and his touch was gentle. He didn’t try to show his strength by gripping her wrist, nor did he seem afraid of touching her. It was surprising at how normal it felt._ _

__Alex felt an electric shock go through her body as she gently grabbed Maggie’s wrist. Maggie’s skin was soft and warm, and there was just something right about touching her this way. She wished the moment could go on forever, but eventually Maggie pulled away._ _

__She motioned towards the blanket. “You hungry?”_ _

__Alex nodded yes, then remembered that Maggie couldn’t see her. She cleared the sudden lump in her throat and answered. “Yes, please.” _You are so beautiful._ _ _

__Maggie took a seat on the blanket and felt the blanket shift slightly as Alex took a seat across from her. She reached behind her and grabbed the basket where it had been sitting and took out the snacks. Winn had baked fresh scones which he had allowed her to take and Kara had suggested fruit, so she had grabbed a bowlful of the biggest strawberries that Maggie had seen. J’onn had whispered that Alex had a sweet tooth so using the remaining time she had left Maggie had made fresh whipped cream. She was grateful to them all for the suggestions because she could hear the wonder and surprise in Alex’s voice. “This is great Maggie, thank you!” He said, when she handed him a plate. It seemed weird to see the plate disappear once it was in Alex’s hands but she didn’t react, instead she turned her attention to making her own plate._ _

__“So J’onn told me that you have a meeting tonight with the staff?” Maggie asked after a few minutes to break the silence._ _

__“Yes.” Alex answered thought a mouthful. She paused and swallowed, her face lighting up with a blush. She knew Maggie noticed, because she could see the other woman trying not to laugh. “We meet at least once a week. I try to check in and make sure that things are running smoothly, and that everyone has adequate room and board for their needs. We usually finish the meeting with a party, you are invited if you would like to come. We are celebrating the birth of Fira, J’onn’s mare’s foal. He’s hoping to start a new breeding program.”_ _

__Maggie dipped a strawberry in the cream, and took a bite. Alex couldn’t help but watch as a small drop fell onto the corner of her mouth. Maggie’s tongue licked it away, and Alex swallowed hard. She shifted slightly, and told herself to calm down. She cleared her throat, and looked out towards the lake._ _

__“So J’onn raises horses, you work at the forge in your spare time, and Kara reads… this wasn’t quite the castle life that I expected it to be.” Maggie commented._ _

__Alex smiled, watching a duck fishing across the lake. She breathed in the sights and smells of home. “We are a working estate… or at least we are now. My father changed a lot of things when he became King. He turned this from a lavish summer house, into a comfortable and cozy home. I can’t imagine living any place else.”_ _

__“So if your father was the King, why aren't you the King?” Maggie asked curiously._ _

__Alex looked back towards her. “I don’t come unto my inheritance until I turn 25. My Mother is ruling in my place.” Maggie caught the sadness in Alex’s voice._ _

__“Oh?” This was the first time that anyone had mentioned Alex’s mother. Maggie had just assumed that she was dead as well._ _

__“When my father was killed, my mother was beside herself. She moved the court back to her father’s city, and made that the seat of the Kingdom. She left Kara and I here to take care of this estate.” Alex said. “She comes back at least twice a year to check on us, and usually one of my guards goes there to report to the council and to gather supplies.”_ _

__Maggie frowned. “She left you, your father had just died, and she left you.”_ _

__Alex shifted uncomfortably. “My parents’ marriage was not arranged. They married for love. Losing my father was like losing the other half of her… and my situation didn’t help anything.” Alex said, a bit defensively. Maggie noticed and backed off._ _

__“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry. I understand. My father wasn’t always the jerk that he is now. Before my mother got sick, he was a different person. Not that he was warm, but he was fun, and I knew in his own way that he loved me. Then my mother started getting headaches, and she started getting weaker. We moved here because the Apothecary that was treating her said that the warmer air would help her…” Maggie paused. “It did for a while, but then she got worse. I came home from school to find her passed out in the kitchen. I thought she was dead, but My father was able to wake her up. She wasn’t the same after that though. She couldn’t move her left side, and she couldn’t talk. He put her in the state asylum. He told me that part of my downy would go to putting her in a better private institution.”_ _

__Alex saw tears in Maggie’s eyes and she reached over a hand without thinking. She grabbed Maggie’s and she felt the woman jump. She went to pull away, but Maggie shook her head. “No stay.” She squeezed Alex’s fingers between her own. Alex saw the tears start to fall, and her heart broke for her friend._ _

__“I’m sorry about your Mom.” Alex said, softly. “Can I give you a hug?” Maggie nodded, and wiped her eyes with her free hand. Alex was about to put her arm around Maggie’s shoulders, when Kara came running up to them startling them out of the moment. She paused for a second, looking at them, well more specifically Alex with a curious expression._ _

__“Sorry to interrupt, but Al, James was looking for you. At the shift change the guards found something in the woods that they need you to see.” She looked loathed to interrupted them, but Alex sighed and gently removed her hand from Maggie’s._ _

__“I’m sorry.” She started to apologize. But Maggie shook her head._ _

__“I understand. Thanks for meeting me.”_ _

__“No thank you, this was lovely… I don’t get out much.” Alex said shyly. Kara laughed, then grunted as Alex’s elbowed her in the ribs._ _

__“Ouch… what?” Kara shrugged. Alex opened her mouth to tell her off, but then she looked at Maggie. She closed her mouth and shook her head, moving up the path before her sister could embarrass her anymore._ _

__Kara waited until her sister was no longer in earshot before sitting down next to Maggie. “So how did it go?” She asked, taking a huge bite of one of the left over scones._ _

__Maggie watched Alex’s form walk down the path. The shadows that marked his form seemed to stand out more than they had before, and the air around him seemed brighter instead of dull. “It went well… Alex is very different than what I was expecting a man of his stature to be. He’s kind and gentle, and shy…”__

 _ _Kara caught the hint of a small smile on Maggie’s face as she talked about her sister, and she frowned. It suddenly hit her that while she knew that Alex liked girls and liked Maggie, Maggie really thought that Alex was a man… _Oh, no… we have a problem.__ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any mistakes are my own, and please let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a couple of warnings in this chapter for internalized homophobia, and for aftermath of an attack. Just wanted to give you a heads up. I owe my Beta a huge thank you for this one... she helped me turn our collective ideas into a complete plot. Happy Reading :)

Alex waited until she was out of sight from the lake, before she used her magic, teleporting herself to where James was waiting for her. She tugged her cloak around her body. This part of the woods always seemed so cold. 

“Sorry to interrupt, Your Grace.” James apologized. 

“It’s no problem, James. What’s going on?” Alex said, shaking her head. She didn’t want to talk about Maggie right now. 

“Ryan reported hearing some noises coming from this section of the forest last night. It sounded like the wolves were out hunting again so the watch commander decided against sending a patrol. They had a quiet day this morning so at the shift change J’onn sent us to check it out to make sure that we didn’t miss anything…” James paused and hung his head. “We found a body.” 

He pointed to where his men were gathered. “It’s an old woman. I don’t recognize her from the village, but someone tried to bury her, and we have some blood.” 

“You think somebody else was with her… and you want me to find them?” Alex asked, knowing why precisely James needed her. He nodded and she sighed. She felt the beast paw at her chest, the smell of blood and death in the air. The idea that someone was hurt in the woods worried her and the beast inside her knew that they could help. 

Sighing, she motioned for the guards to turn around, and she stripped down to skin. She set her clothes off to the side of a large tree and hung her cloak on a branch. Then she closed her eyes, and let go of the control that she usually had over her emotions and the beast, and allowed her to run free. She felt bit of brief pain, and then nothing other than the rush of excitement that she always felt with the change and the urge to hunt. 

She opened her eyes seeing the world as gray instead of green. James had turned and was waiting for her to approach him. He was used to her form, having seen it before, but some of the new guards… she could smell the fear on them and she sighed. 

Before the curse, the beast had transformed her into a mostly normal if you could call it that, wolf/human hybrid. Her grandfather had been the last of her family to transform into an actual wolf. But after the curse, having her identity stripped away had also changed the beast too. Now she was a six foot tall, werewolf with bat like wings, and a tail. J’onn said that the closest thing to describe her, would be a hellbeast, minus the red eyes and the horns. Alex just felt like a monster, not the protector that she was suppose to be. 

She sniffed the air, smelling blood and death. She growled slightly as the unpleasant smell hit the back of her throat. The guards took a step away from her, looking more than a little frightened. One of the younger ones was fidgeting with the hilt of his sword like he was going to pull it out if she even looked his direction. 

Alex hated that, she hated that the curse had taken her beast away from her too. Growling she took off through the undergrowth of the trees, searching for the scent of anything else that may have been in the woods. 

“Should we follow her… it?” The Guard asked James nervously. 

“No, she’ll let us know when she’s found something.” James said, watching Alex disappear. Then he turned his attention back to his men, and noticed how pale they looked. 

“Hey… She’s not going to eat you.” He said. Normally he would add some humor to get them all to settle down, but instead he just felt sad. He had seen the look in Alex’s eye before she left, and he knew that she had felt their fear. He remembered her father and his wolf. How he had gotten lost in these very woods trying to find the perfect honeycomb to bring back to Kara when she had first arrived here. The King had used his power to find him though his smell, and had carried him back to his parents in furry arms. The Castle folk had been used to seeing the King transform into the Beast at time to amuse the children, who had piled on his furry body and laid in the cool spring sun listening to him read them stories. 

Alex though had never gotten the chance to use her power much before the curse. Alex’s wolf or Beast wasn’t the cute furry friendly looking animal that her father’s was, nor would it be. The Beast was just as useful and gentle as her father’s wolf, but it bother him to see how her friends reacted to it after the memories of how they treated her father. 

His men all jumped as a howl reached them, and James shook his head at their foolishness. “Come on. She found something.” 

He followed the direction of the sound for several yards, until he found her huddled under a tree holding something in her arms. It was a girl, about Kara’s age, with long dark hair that was muddy and caked with blood. He motioned for his men to stop, and he moved forward. Alex unfurled her wings from where she had been covering the girl’s chilled body in an effort to warm her up, to show him her side. There was a large wound, which matched a wolf bite, and it was still sluggishly bleeding even this many hours later. 

Alex changed slightly, her human vocal cords replacing the beast’s. “She’s been trying to get somewhere… I’ve tracked a blood trail from a few feet away from where we found her to here. It looks like she keeps reopening the wound. She needs a healer.” 

“Can you take her?” James asked, knowing that the Castle wasn’t that far. 

“Of course… but she’s very cold. My fur is keeping her somewhat warm, so I don’t want to move her. Can you try to bind her wound so she doesn’t bleed to death between her and the Castle?” Alex asked. 

James nodded and took off the jacket to his uniform, then his shirt. He ripped it in half and pressed it against the girl’s side, then used the other half to rap around the girl’s waist holding the makeshift bandage in place. James put back on his jacket and Alex pretended not to see him shiver. 

“Thank you. Can you make sure that your boys bring back the woman’s body and whatever belongings that you can find, so that we can have her properly buried?” 

“Of course, Your Grace.” James said, moving back to give her space. 

Alex nodded and with a flap of her wings she was off, doing her best not to jostle the girl in her arms too much. Alex’s ears could barely sense a heartbeat, and Alex flew a little faster praying that she would make it on time. 

**———————————————**

Hours later, Alex trudge wearily back to her room, only her stained cloak wrapped around her. Her body was sore, and she was covered in mud, blood and the gods only knew what else. She moved into the washroom, and started the mechanism that delivered the water from the reservoir. A knock on the door and then the sound of someone coming closer, made her look up. She felt a hand cup her cheek and the other hand gently guided her to a seated position on the edge of the tub. 

“Let me…” Kara whispered. Her sister looked like she got beat up, she had scratches all over her from flying through the trees and her heart ached for her. She summoned a spell to heal them, but before she guide her hand, Alex shook her head. _I deserve the pain… I just couldn’t fly fast enough._

Alex grunted softly, and slumped down, feeling like her body weighted a million pounds. The girl had fought hard, but in the end it just wasn’t hard enough. The girl had died in her arms, holding her hand. 

Alex could still feel, and hear the moment that the girl had passed over to the other side. Her hand which had been clinging to hers in pain went limp, and her heartbeat, which had been ringing in Alex’s head over and over again was suddenly silent. It reminded her of her father. One minute she had been holding his hand and then the next he was gone, all signs of life passing from his eyes. She shivered, and a hand not her own wiped away the tears that she didn’t even know that she had been crying. 

“Just breathe, Alex.” Kara whispered, wiping away her tears. Alex shivered again, and Kara realized that her sister was having another anxiety episode. Gently she removed the cloak from around Alex’s body then guided her into the warm water. Alex didn’t say a word, but grunted a little as the warm water hit her injured skin. 

“I’m right here, Sis. Can I touch you?” Kara asked. Alex nodded, and Kara picked up the cloth and ran it across Alex’s shoulders. The water ran red as it wash away dirt and blood. 

She got Alex washed and dried, then she got her into a nightshirt and helped her to bed. Alex didn’t say a word the whole time and Kara knew that she had withdrawn into herself for while. She closed her eyes and laid against the pillow. Kara knew that she wasn’t sleeping, but that she trying to relax. 

Eliza always tried to push Alex to talk to her when she got like this, but Kara knew it did nothing but make her sister want to hide more. So she waited for Alex to come to her, and she sat down in her chair and picked up the book that she had abandoned that morning. 

**——————————————**

Maggie felt the change in the air as she approached the Castle door. The air seemed still and solemn, and she regretted taking her time to walk along the grounds on her way back. _I missed something... something important._ She grabbed one of the passing guards. “Have you seen J’onn, Alex, M’gann or even Kara?” 

“You must be Maggie.” The Guard said with a small bow. “I’m James. Kara and Alex are in Alex’s room, and J’onn is dealing with a situation in the healer’s wing. I have not seen M’gann, but I can find her if you would like.” 

“No, but thank you. I’ll go find Alex.” Maggie gave him a small nod, and started walking but James caught up with her. 

“Wait, my lady… I’ll escort you.” James said. 

“Why are you afraid I’ll get lost and find all of the Castle’s secrets?” Maggie teased, rolling her eyes. 

“No, I’m afraid you’ll wander into the west wing….” he paused and made a serious face. “It’s forbidden.” 

Maggie looked at him for a moment then laughed. “That’s where the kitchen is, you nut.” 

“Exactly, that’s where Winn keeps all of his secret recipes locked up tight. Even touch his recipe book and he will have you banished to the stables faster than you can say ‘Special Sauce’.” 

They looked at each other and laughed. James sighed. “But seriously, some of these passages all look the same and it’s easy to get lost if you don't know where you are.” 

“I was just kidding. It’s fine really.” Maggie said. She waited sensing that James had something more that he wanted to say. 

“Thank you for the laugh… I really needed that.” 

“Everyone seems so serious all of a sudden. What happened?” Maggie said, meeting James’s eye from across the hallway. The man seemed somber all of a sudden, which was jarring considering he was making her laugh a moment ago. 

“We found a body in the woods. An old woman who had been attacked by wolves. It looks like she was lost and was seeking refuge here. I had thought she was alone, but then we found evidence that she had another woman with her. A girl about Kara’s age… she was half dead when Alex found her. Alex was able to bring her here to the Castle and to our healer, but it was too late. She died holding Alex’s hand.” 

He paused. “Alex is really shaken up about it.” 

“I would imagine so.. is he alright?” 

“A couple of scratches from branches, but they will heal… the memory of this I fear will not.” 

Maggie was quiet as they walked up the stairs, lost in thought. They came to a long hallway that Maggie realized marked the entrance to the throne room. There were paintings hanging all over the walls, and all of them were members of the royal family. She saw a few of Alex’s ancestors, from the first of Danvers Dynasty: King Ulfric Josiah Danvers to Alex’s great great grandfather, King Alexander Danvers II. She stopped to study that one, (wondering if he was Alex’s namesake) and then turned at the sound of footsteps walking towards them. 

Another guard came up to James and passed along a note. He read it and then turned to her looking apologetic. ‘I’m sorry, Maggie, but J’onn has requested my presence at a review to discuss what happened in the woods today.” He paused and pointed down the hallway. “If you take the next right, and then left, the second doorway you come to is Alex’s room.” 

“Thank you… I appreciate your company. I hope everything goes well.” She said sincerely. He gave her a grim smile and a short bow, then he took off down the stairs. 

Maggie sighed, then turned her attention back towards the paintings. She walked further down the hallway, taking note that there were some badass looking Queens who had ruled in Alex’s family line. The paintings continued as she turned down the hallway, and she paused when she came across a small painting of Alex’s parents. King Jeremiah Danvers and his Queen Eliza Danvers, the plaque underneath read. They both were beautiful, and Maggie wondered which of their features that Alex shared. _I bet he is handsome too._ The thought made her blush and pause. She wondered why the thought of what Alex looked like brought a sense of butterflies to her stomach. _It’s not like I like him, like that right?_

The truth was that Alex confused her… there seemed to be more to him that met the eye and she wondered why that was. Being with Emily had brought her some of the same feelings that she was beginning to recognize in her small dealings with the Lord, it frightened her. She knew that she was different, although she knew not how to describe or label what she felt, so why now was she feeling this way towards a man. 

A painting in the upper right hand corner of the wall caught her eye, and she pushed back the tapestry that half covered it. It was a family portrait of Jeremiah and Eliza and Kara standing assembled in the throne room. There was a clear blank space where Alex’s body should have been standing. _Damn it… come on Castle or curse or whatever, you have to give me something to work with here. If we waited for Alex to spill his secrets, you will never be broken._ She thought. 

Maggie turned to go, but she heard a tiny noise of what sounded like wind chimes startled her and the air suddenly smelled like apples and fudge. She turned back towards the painting, and before her eyes she saw it shimmer and change. The image where Alex’s body was hidden a moment before suddenly became a little more revealed. It had no color or features, only a silhouette. _By the gods… it worked. Thank you._

She moved down the hallway finding more pictures, and in each one where Alex was present the painting slowly changed to where Alex was visible in shadow. It wasn’t enough to tell her anything more than she already knew, but it gave her enough hope to know that the more she got to know Alex the more would be revealed to her. With a spring in her step, she ran down the hallway, eager to check on Alex and test out her new theory. 

**——————————————————-**

Kara looked up from her book when she felt Alex start to stir. She got up and grabbed Alex’s hand. “Hey.” 

“I failed… didn’t I? I’m the protector of our people and I couldn’t fly gods be damned fast enough.” Alex said, anger in her voice. Kara didn’t react to it, but sat down facing her sister. 

“At least she wasn’t alone when she died… if it wasn’t for you, she would have died alone in those woods. We might not have ever found her.” Kara said. 

“I should have been paying more attention… It’s my duty to take care of my people.” 

“Al…” Kara started to say, but Alex interrupted. 

“Dad would have saved her… he did it all of the time when I was a kid. He saved James from falling in the well, and in the middle of a council meeting too. I wasn’t doing anything last night except wallowing in something that I can never have.” Alex yelled, and then sighed. 

“I’m just fooling myself. Today at the lake with her was perfect… I felt like she was starting to see me. Now, I wonder if I really want her too.. maybe I really am the monster that everyone thinks I am.” Alex had been still, so Kara jumped when Alex suddenly launched her pillow across the room. 

“Sorry.” Alex apologized for scaring her sister. 

“Don’t be… I get it Alex. I do, but I think that you put too much pressure on yourself. No one is asking you to be this perfect hero in shining armor that comes along to save the day, only you have that image in your head. All we ask of you is to have our back when things get rough, and you do that beautifully and faithfully.” Kara also knew that Maggie was the biggest reason why her sister was pushing herself, but she didn’t say a word, it wasn’t time to deal with that yet. 

Alex let out a breath, feeling a little better after her rant. “Thank you for putting up with me.” She said after a moment. 

“Yeah, Well… you make it hard sometimes.” Kara teased. “I love you.” 

“I love you too Sis.” Alex said, giving her a hug. 

Kara after a long moment, pulled back and looked at her sister. “Hey, we need to talk.” 

“What about? Did James do something stupid again?” 

“No, he’s great.” Kara said, giving Alex that goofy grin that she always made when she talked about her boyfriend. Alex rolled her eyes, and Kara playfully pushed her shoulder. “But I need to talk to you about Maggie.” 

Alex nervously fiddled with the blanket. “What about Maggie?” 

Kara sighed and grabbed Alex’s hand. “She likes you, Al…” 

“Pff…” Alex shook her head. “No she doesn't… she barely knows me.” 

“Come on, I can see the sparks when you look at her, and I can feel the draw between your souls. Trust me… you should have seen the look she was giving you when you walked away from the lake.” 

Alex shook her head again, and blushed. Kara sighed. “Well, at the very least, I know that you like her. It worries me because she thinks you’re a man. Is it fair to her to have her fall for you, only for her to find out the truth?” 

Alex looked away, and Kara gently hooked her finger under her sister’s chin and gently moved so that Alex was looking at her once more. “I can’t Kara… if she knew the truth, she would run. You don’t understand. You and James can hold hands, kiss and be together and nobody looks at you twice. But two girls…” Alex shook her head, tears in her eyes. 

Kara squeezed Alex’s hand. “It’s not a bad thing… to like girls that way, Al. Society may frown upon it, but the gods don't. And it’s not like you’re the only one, Alex… you can’t be, it would be a statistical improbability.” 

“Nerd.” Alex laughed, as she wiped her eyes. She sighed. “I just dont need one more thing to make me different Kara. I’m already pushing it with a curse and a literal hellbeast living inside me.” 

“Give her a chance Alex… I do know one thing, a relationship built on a lie, is no relationship at all. If you believe in your heart that she is the one that is destined to break the curse, then you must have some faith, and let go of your fear.” She leaned over and kissed Alex’s forehead. “Just think about it ok?” 

Alex nodded, and Kara got up and stretched. “Now, I’m going to find my boyfriend and make sure that he’s ok. Are you going to be ok?” 

“Yes. Thank you, Kara for everything.” 

“Always. We are stronger together, Al… don’t forget that.” 

“El Mayarah.” Alex replied, repeating the family motto that her Dad had added to honor Kara’s parents. 

“El Mayarah.” Kara repeated, giving Alex a smile before she left her sister alone with her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably my second favorite chapter to write thus far. Let me know what you think about this chapter by leaving a comment, I’ve really been enjoying reading them. They make my day every week. Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a bit late... I had to work today and it threw my whole schedule off. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and Happy Reading. Oh, as a warning there is a bit of violence in this chapter, but it shouldn’t be too bad. If it needs a better warning, let me know.

As it turned out it would be couple of days before Maggie would get a chance to test out her theory. M’gann had stopped her on the way to Alex’s room, asking for her help with cleaning up the banquet that had been cancelled. Then at first light the next morning Alex and some of the guards had left to hunt down the wolf pack. Maggie had woken up to the news and a note that had left with her breakfast tray.  


_Dear Maggie,_

_I’m sorry to leave you so soon, I know that you are still getting used to the Castle and all of us. I had to go, I cannot rest behind these walls while a wild wolf pack attacks my people. We should only be gone for a few days, but you shall be in my thoughts. You seem like the type of person that doesn’t like to not be busy so if you get bored with exploring the Castle grounds, I have given M’gann some instructions to show you my forge. I always have a stack of things that either need to be repaired or replaced, or feel free to make something of your own. J’onn sends his regards as well, and has expressed a desire to train you when we return. You don’t need my permission or anything, but I would just like to add that I support your decision and I left you a present on the workbench that may help with your training. I look forward to seeing you again when I get back. Maybe we can do lunch on the lake to make up for me leaving you?_

_Your friend,_

_Alex_

  


Maggie smiled, and carefully rolled up the letter, feeling giddy at the idea of using Alex’s forge. _He left me a present, I wonder what it is?_ She thought as she finished up her breakfast in a hurry. M’gann was walking down the hallway when she opened her door, and the older woman stopped and smiled at her. 

“You are beaming. I don’t even have to guess why.” M’gann teased her. “You like playing with fire that much.” 

Maggie blushed. “It’s not that… it’s watching something beautiful take shape from a single piece of metal. Listening to it, feeling it, seeing it come to life under your hammer and your fingertips, it’s magical.” She said, her voice hushed with awe. 

M’gann smiled, seeing the same joy in Maggie’s eyes that she saw in Alex’s. “Come on. I’ll show you where it is.” 

**————————-**

Alex called the group to a halt and got down off of her horse. They had arrived in a tiny clearing in the middle of the forest, which was a perfect place to set up camp and search the whole forest. J’onn came up to her. 

“Princess… shall we start setting up the tents?” J’onn asked. 

“Yes, and they need to be done quickly. We are losing daylight.” 

“Yes, Your Grace.” J’onn said giving her a salute. He turned and started shouting orders the other Guards. Alex sighed and started removing her horse’s saddle, before patting his nose. Steel (Alex chuckled at the name) licked her fingers and Alex smiled. 

“Here, boy.” She dug an apple out of the saddle and gave it to him. His warm breath tickled her fingers, and she leaned down to kiss his nose before picking up her Saddle and placing it on a fallen log. Steel had been the son of her father’s mare and she had given the stallion the name when he was born. He was a beautiful grey, and Alex loved him deeply. Gently she lead him into the area they had roped off for the horses, and let him loose. 

She scratched her neck and sighed. James came up to her and patted her shoulder. “Feeling ok, Your Grace?” 

“Hmm? Oh yeah, just a little stiff.” Alex said giving him a small smile. “I’m going to see if I can track their scent.” He nodded and moved off. Quietly Alex found a large tree and removed her clothing. She shifted quietly letting the beast free. She didn’t fly like last time, but instead tucked her wings behind her and walked quietly, pausing to study the ground and to sniff the area for scents. All she could smell was a lingering faint scent of wolf, but then nothing. She could smell the plants and the other smaller animals (prey the beast reminded her), as well as the humans and the horses. Something felt off but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. 

Alex growled softly, and stalked back towards the campsite. She could hear the shouted orders of her men as they pitched the tents and got everything ready to spend the night. She took a step and froze, feeling a shift in the air to her right. A crossbow bolt came out of nowhere, as she caught it in fingertips just inches before it would have pierced her shoulder. She heard the ruffle of fabric and the sound of someone jumping to the ground and she took off. He was dressed in black, and his sudden disgusting scent made her choke. It was then that she realized that he had been using Magic to cloak himself and to track her in this form. That meant that they had a much bigger problem on their hands than wolves. 

_Shit, it’s an assassin._ She ducked a fireball that was suddenly flung her way. Her magic was limited in this form, but she was able to use her wings to dodge the flaming ball. She roared, hoping that J’onn and the rest of the group would hear it and come to her aid, and took off for the open sky. 

**—————————-**

M’gann opened the door to the forge, and Maggie sighed as the familiar scents assaulted her nose. M’gann watched as Maggie went into the room, and lovingly started the fire. The younger woman looked so much at home here, and it brought a smile to M’gann’s face. 

Maggie got the fire going then figuring that she had wasted enough time not to look so eager, she walked over to Alex’s work bench. There was a note sitting on top of something that had been wrapped in leather, and Maggie let out a small squeal of shock and delight as she pulled back the leather. A beautiful short sword sat naked on the table. It’s steel blade was deadly sharp, but yet so shiny she could see her reflection in it. The pommel had been encrusted with emeralds and gold, which also happened to be the colors in the Danvers’ family coat of arms. 

Maggie opened the note.

  


_My dearest Maggie,_

_Please accept this gift, as a token of our friendship. Every member of my family has a sword that I made for them. Some use them and some don’t but it’s my way of pledging my protection for you and those you call your family. No, matter what you choose, I promise for as long as I live that you and yours will always be welcomed in my gates and halls as friends and loved ones. May this sword never fail to be by your side, and may your enemies tremble at the sight of it._

_Take note it is enchanted… the blade will never grow dull, and it will come when you call it’s name, so name it well, my friend. J’onn is looking forward to training you, and maybe one day you will honor me with a fight of our own this blade?_

_Your friend,_

_Alex Danvers_

  


Maggie held the note to her chest and closed her eyes, trying not to cry. This was the best gift that she had ever gotten. M’gann came behind her, and Maggie felt a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?” 

“Yes… this is just wonderful.” Maggie picked it up, reverently. The metal was cool to the touch but it quickly warmed under her skin. It was the perfect size and weight and she wondered how Alex had guessed what her measurement was. Then she had remembered the way that J’onn had grinned at her during the fight and the way that he had studied her moves. She felt the tears fall then, at that thought. M’gann wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close. 

“I don’t get it… I have never felt this kindness from a stranger before. How it is that a man that barely knows me knows how to find a gift that speaks to my heart in a way that nothing else could ever compare too… Yet my parents knew me for a lifetime and yet.... ” Maggie paused, and her voice faded. 

M’gann was quiet for a minute. “You can feel it can’t you… there is a draw between your souls.” 

Maggie nodded, a bit unsure. It seemed crazy to admit it out loud. Footsteps made them both turn, Maggie shifted her sword protectively in her fingers, unsure of who was talking towards them. Maggie relaxed when she realized it was Kara. She picked up the scabbard, which was plain brown leather and tucked the blade into it before holding it lovingly against her chest. 

“If you can feel it that means that things have already started to change.” Kara said, pulling back the hood of her cloak, as she entered the room. Kara closed her eyes for a second, and then opened them again. “The old woman’s death was no accident. She was a sacrifice.” 

M’gann felt her heart stop. “The shield?” 

“Still intact, but it won’t be for long.” 

“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Maggie interjected, feeling very lost with the sudden change of conversation. 

“I’m talking about the curse… the witch who cast it will stop at nothing to see that it remains intact and if she can find another way to get to me she will. 

“What?” Maggie exclaimed. “ You mean, she escaped? I assumed she was dead.” 

“No, she is very much alive and she wants nothing more than to see me and my family (birth and adopted) come to end.” Kara pointed towards the door, and out into the courtyard. “Come with me… it’s time we told you the whole story.” 

**————————-**

Alex dodged another fireball and flew as high as she could before swooping around, trying to spot where they were coming from. Being this high up she had lost the sight of him, and her nostrils were still full of his stench and she couldn’t accurately track him. She sneezed and that helped some, but instead she tried to think of a new plan. 

_I’m too much of a target out in the open, but I can’t fly in this part of the forest, there are too many trees, and they grow to close for my wing span. If I can make it to the ground without him noticing, maybe I can shift back and the curse and my magic will be enough to hide me._

Another fireball was thrown her way, and she tried to dodge, but it caught the tip of her wing. She howled in pain and she lost altitude falling towards the earth with increasing speed. She tried to flap her wings harder, and at the last possible second she was able to use her wing and she managed to stay airborne. The pads of Alex’s paw like feet brushed the top of the tree line, and she took a deep breath trying to slow her racing heart. She shifted slightly, giving her human sight and speech once more, sensing movement coming from in front of her. 

She caught a glimpse of black rising out of the trees as the assassin climbed high enough to raise his head. He was about 20 feet from her, and he turned so that he was looking at her. He slowly removed his hood, and she gasped. He was about Kara’s age, and she knew that her sister would find him good looking. He had dark hair, and a well trimmed beard. He looked familiar but Alex couldn’t put her finger on why. But what had made her gasp was his eyes, they were blood red and he stared at her without blinking. He had black trails of blood and paint that marred his skin. It was symbols of the Order that had killed her father and had turned her into this monster. Her heart sank and she felt cold fear deep within her bones. All of her fur stood on end and she wished that she could run. She felt powerless to escape his gaze and she couldn’t look away. 

“This is a warning, Alex Danvers…” the man boomed. His voice was deep and creepy as if something inside him was speaking through him. “Give up the Heir, or we will have no choice but to finish what we started.” 

“I will never let you take my sister…” Alex growled defiantly, the beast feeling possessive at the thought of him touching what was hers. _Kara is my family and you will not have her._

“Then you have sealed your fate… we will be coming.” The assassin said, his voice dripping with malice. He raised his hands, summoning up a spell. Time seemed to slow then. She could see the fire building between his cupped hands. She couldn’t move. It was as if she had been frozen in time. She prayed to the gods to let her live, and when no answer seemed forth coming, she thought about Kara, and J’onn. She would miss them and she hoped that they knew how much she loved them. Then she turned her thoughts to Maggie, feeling the tentative bond between them. She didn’t even know if Maggie could feel it yet. _I’m sorry, my friend. May your life be your own, and may the road you travel always lead you to adventure and wonder and home. I wish I could have been that for you._ Alex closed her eyes resigned to her fate, as the assassin raised his hands to release the fireball aimed straight at her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to my Beta on this one, she’s amazing. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, it was super fun to write. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, and I’ll see you all next week. Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> Sanvers is Endgame!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Reading! :)

Kara guided Maggie over towards the fountain and took a seat on the edge. She motioned for Maggie to sit next to her. “So what did you mean the whole story? Are you talking about Alex’s curse?” Maggie asked, getting right to the point. She realized she still had her sword in her hand and she set it on her lap. 

“Yes, that and the truth about me.” Kara said. “You see it wasn’t my family’s money that the kings were fighting over but my gift… I’m a descendant and heir of the House of El.” Kara said as if that explained everything. And it did… the El’s were famous. They were respected and feared Witches and Warlocks. They had made their money working as advisors to various Kings and leaders on matters of state and magic. But soon someone had grown envious of their power and abilities and one by one the house fell into ruin, until now it appeared that only Kara was left. 

“So you’re a witch then?” Maggie asked. “If you’re an El, that means you must be a powerful one… Wait you’re the witch who cast the countercurse, allowing Alex to be able to able to be seen by you all?” 

Kara blushed. “Yes that was me.” 

“But why would they send a witch to curse you, you could just counteract it?” Maggie asked a little confused. 

“I didn’t have my magic then. It didn’t manifest until after the incident. Alex thinks that my magic was sparked by the trauma of Jeremiah’s death and watching Alex go through the changes that the curse wrought.” 

“That makes sense. So you made the curse breakable?” 

“Yes. The curse will be broken when someone truly sees Alex for who they are… on the inside not by what they look on the outside.” Kara stated. 

Maggie was struck not for the first time the family’s weird habit of referring to Alex by a neutral pronoun and she wondered if it was on purpose or if they were just referencing the way that the spell had been worded. But then she remembered the way that Alex’s shadow had been brighter and the way that his picture had been coming back in all of the paintings. She thought about telling Kara about what she was experiencing, but she decided not to. _It seems to private to share. How can I explain to her what I am feeling when I can’t even explain it myself?_

“I don’t understand why you think I’m the one to break this curse… just because we are friends doesn’t mean we are destined to be anything other than that.” Maggie said kind of testily not seeing the knowing look that Kara gave her. 

“That may be true, but we just wanted you to know. As I said, I can see the bond between you. What the bond is, I don’t know. It could be that the gods have brought you here to give Alex some hope, or to be a friend. And that’s really all that I can ask for. You just deserve to know the rest.” Maggie nodded conceding the point. Kara was about to continue to tell her more about Alex, the Witch, and the Shield, but the words died on her lips as she was filled with a sudden sense of pain and fear. 

“What’s wrong? Are you ok?” Maggie asked, seeing Kara grow pale. She placed a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. 

“It’s Alex.” Kara stood up quickly. “Come on.” 

She held her hand out for Maggie and as soon as Maggie took it they disappeared. 

**—————————**

**Thwack!** Alex opened her eyes just in time to see the assassin fall from the tree, the fireball grow lifeless in his dead fingers. She let out a sigh of relief, and caught herself from falling as the spell released her. 

Her wing ached where it had been hit, and she knew that it was probably burned or worse. The beast whined unhappily in her chest and she knew that it was probably too tired to help her change back. She was going to be stuck in this form for a while. Sighing she set her hind paws on the nearest branch and started climbing down the tree, not wanting to risk falling by trying to fly. 

J’onn greeted her at the bottom, and helped her down. He grunted with the effort, and she didn’t say anything, since she knew that she was heavy. When her paws touched the ground she broke away from him and collapsed in a heap, breathing hard. 

“Thank you.” She said, her voice hoarse. 

“You’re welcome. I’m just grateful that I managed to make it in time. Who was that?” J’onn asked. 

“An assassin, from the Order… they are after Kara.” Alex said. 

“I’ve sent the guards out looking for more men like that one.” J’onn pointing in the direction where the assassin’s body was. “We can take his body back to camp… maybe his personal effects could tell us more.” 

Alex nodded. “Send a messenger to the Castle as well, make sure that they are safe.” 

“It will be done, Your Grace. Can you stand?” Alex nodded and moved to do so, but she felt light headed and sat back down. 

“Nope, dizzy.” She leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. J’onn cursed and wondered what he was going to do. In the form she was in, Alex was too heavy to carry, and he was loathed to leave her there defenseless. A noise sounded in the brush and he removed his bow from his back and reached for an arrow. Before he could move however, Kara appeared out of the brush, looking a bit winded with Maggie trailing behind her. His new Squire had Alex’s sword in her hand, and he smiled at the sight. It was the first time he had seen it finished and his heart filled with pride. _You did good, Dearheart._

Maggie had been confused when they appeared in the middle of the woods. She heard the sound of roar in the distance and she shivered in fear, suddenly happy that she had brought Alex’s sword with her. She unsheathed it and tied the scabbard to her waist, it was awkward since she was wearing a dress, but she made do. 

Kara squeezed her free hand. “Don’t be afraid… that’s Alex.” 

“Wait, what?” Maggie said, feeling confused. 

Kara sighed. “I was getting to this part next but, Alex is a shifter. Anyone born of the Danvers bloodline has the power to transform into a wolf, well a wolf like being… Alex was the same until the curse. Now the transformation is a little different. When you see Alex don’t be scared… they won’t hurt you. Now come on, hurry!” 

Kara took off running and Maggie had no choice but to run with her. Kara used her magic to track Alex’s location, until finally they burst through the trees and Maggie stopped at the sight of J’onn standing next what looked like a hellbeast. 

_The creature… Alex... was huge, and were those wings?_ Maggie shook her head with disbelief before moving to catch up with Kara. She sheathed her sword not wanting to send Alex the message that she was there to hurt him. 

Alex felt her sister’s presence and opened her eyes. She winced when she saw Maggie behind her, and she felt icy cold dread fill her heart. This wasn’t at all the way she had picture Maggie seeing her for the first time. She felt tears prick the back of her eyes when she saw Maggie pause at the sight of her. 

“Alex!” Kara yelled running over to her. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine.” Alex said, bitterly. The pain in her heart hurt worse than her wing and body. 

“Good, stay with Alex, Your Grace. I’ll run and get the healer.” J’onn said, taking off running back towards the direction of camp. 

Kara knelt at Alex’s side, and took a look at her wing. Alex whined in pain as Kara’s fingers probed the spot. “Sorry.” Kara apologized. 

“Can you heal it?” Alex asked through gritted teeth. Maggie came closer, but Alex ignored her, not wanting to see the fear in her eyes. 

Kara shook her head. “It took a lot of effort to find you. I don’t have enough energy.” 

“It’s ok.” Alex said, reaching out with hand to gently cup Kara’s cheek, not wanting Kara to feel bad. She looked away as Maggie came closer, moving her hand back to her lap. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree feeling tired. _I’ll never have any chance with her now… now that she knows I really am the monster everyone thinks I am. I can’t bear to see the fear in her eyes._

Maggie saw the change that came over Alex as she neared and she was stunned to realize that even as an animal, she recognized his posture. He was ashamed and defeated and it broke her heart to realize he felt that way because of her. She realized that this wasn’t at all the way that he wanted to be seen for the first time, and she could imagine that his mind was filled with images of her running off in terror at the sight of him. How cruel was it to have him be invisible in his human form, and monster like in his beast form, so that no matter what he did, he would be view with terror and loathing. She knelt next to Kara and reached out a hand towards his. 

She thought about what she had said to Kara… she wasn’t sure what their bond meant or if she was really the one to break the curse, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was meant to be his friend. The gods had guided her here at the time when Alex could really use someone in his corner and she thanked them for it. 

Kara watched as Maggie reached out a hand towards Alex’s, and she smiled to herself. Maggie hesitated only for a second and then her fingertips brushed Alex’s palm. Alex froze for a second and then opened her eyes to see Maggie staring at her. 

“Maggie…” Alex said hesitantly. “I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” 

“I know I look scary, but I promise that I won’t hurt you.” Alex said. 

Maggie’s heart softened at the sadness in Alex’s golden eyes. “I know that. You couldn’t hurt anyone, ya big softie.” 

Alex gave her a small grin and she saw his fangs. “My What big teeth you have…” she teased and felt Alex chuckle. 

“All the better for her to eat you then my dear!” A voice called out from behind a tree making them all turn. Alex’s hackles rose as she recognized, and she growled. Maggie moved her free hand to her sword and gripped the hilt in her palm as the figure stepped closer. 

A dark haired woman stepped out of the tree line and flashed her green eyes in Kara’s direction. Kara relaxed and ran toward her. “Lena!” 

They hugged and Kara laughed. “We thought you were an assassin.” They moved off a little ways away, and Alex growled again as she saw Lena’s hand brush over her sister’s side in a way that was more than friendly. She didn’t quite understand their relationship, but it set her teeth on edge. 

“Who is that?” Maggie whispered to Alex, as they watched them. She figured it was safe and let go of the sword at her side. 

“Kara’s best friend…” Alex said, her voice still very much a growl. 

“I take it you don’t like her.” Maggie said, putting a hand on Alex’s broad furry shoulder. She felt Alex stiffen under the touch, and she moved to pull away, but then he relaxed. She played with the red fur marveling at how soft it was. 

“No, but for Kara’s sake, I don’t say anything. Lena is a Luthor and it’s a bit hard to trust the woman whose mother is the one who put a curse on me, and is now sending out members of the Order of Cadmus to kill me and kidnap my sister.” 

“Wow…” Maggie didn’t quite know what to say. Alex just shrugged but then winced as the motion moved her injured wing. 

“So you can shapeshift?” Maggie asked, meeting Alex’s gaze. 

“Yes… you weren’t meant to find out this way. I was going to tell you.” Alex felt heat in her cheeks, and she looked away. 

“Alex, It’s ok... I...” 

“I’m a monster.” Alex whispered softly. “Even my guards look at me like I’m going to eat them. I won’t be offended if you find the sight … well revolting.” She looked away. 

“Hey, look at me.” Maggie said. “It’s ok. Sure this wasn’t what I was expecting, but it’s pretty badass. I mean you can fly.” Maggie’s voice was gentle. It was very obvious to her now why exactly Alex had such big insecurities when it came to his appearance, and she vowed to try and make it easy for him. “My new best friend is a talking hellbeast who is really a gentle soul. How can I be frightened by that?” 

Alex melted at the words which were backed up by the feeling of Maggie’s thumb lightly rubbing against the fur on her shoulder. _I wish I could tell you just how much you mean to me, Maggie Sawyer._

Their moment was broken by Kara and Lena coming closer. “Well, Well… it’s always a pleasure Your Grace.” Lena said, giving Alex a short curtsy. 

“Lady Luthor.” Alex said politely. She wanted to ask why she was here in the same woods as her mother’s spies, but Lena hadn’t betrayed them or her sister thus far so she kept her mouth shut. 

“And who is this?” Lena said her soft accent gave her words a flirtatious tone. She bowed and held out her hand towards Maggie, her green eyes sparkling, in a way that made Alex want to growl. 

“Maggie Sawyer, M’lady.” Maggie said, giving Lena her hand. She was surprised when Lena brought her hand up to her lips, and kissed her skin, lingering for a few seconds longer than custom would dictate. She felt a blush warm her cheeks. _Well this is unexpected._

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maggie. I hope after all of this, we get the chance to sit down and talk for a while later.” She said, sensuality dripping from her words. This time Alex did growl and Lena looked over towards her. “Oh, stop it. You know I’m just teasing. There is no need to be jealous.” 

Maggie looked over and had to stifle a laugh at Alex’s look of indignation at being accused of being jealous. He opened his mouth, letting his fangs show for a second before closing his mouth. He sighed and leaned back against the tree. Maggie pretended not to notice the thrill that went through her at the thought of Alex being jealous. This day had been crazy enough without her confused feelings being added to the pot. 

“So Alex, Lena says that she can help us get back to camp.” Kara said. 

“I bet she can.” Alex said under her breath. Kara nudged her. 

“Listen, Danvers. I know you don’t trust me. But I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you or Kara… you know that. I’m a Luthor in name only remember, and my mother doesn’t trust me anymore than you do.” 

“That’s probably because you are the one that told the Guards it was her that killed my father.” Alex growled. 

“Exactly. Hey.” Lena stepped closer and wrapped her hand around Alex’s arm rubbing her thumb against Alex’s fur. “What my mother did was inexcusable and unforgivable and I took a vow to spend the rest of my days making sure she’ll pay for that.” 

Alex sighed and grabbed Lena’s hand in her own. “I know that, and I’m grateful. I really am.” They shared a quiet nod of forgiveness and then they moved away. 

“Shouldn’t we wait for J’onn?” Maggie asked. 

“I would but it’s not safe.” Lena said. “There are more than just the Order in these woods Alex… dangerous things have started to cross over.” 

“But the shield?” Alex tried to get up, but her body felt heavy and stiff and she cried out in pain. 

Maggie grabbed Alex’s hand and squeezed. “Easy. Just relax.” 

Kara and Lena exchanged a look, while Maggie and Alex looked over at them. 

“The Shield... it’s breaking, Alex.” Kara said. 

“Kara, I thought you were going to tell me about that?” Maggie asked, putting her hand on her hip. 

“I was, But then we had to leave and now...” Kara looked over at Alex giving her an encouraging look. Now that Alex was present, it was now her story to tell. 

“The Shield is what protects the Castle and the Castle grounds from Magic. It was built to protect us from the Order or any other witch or warlock who was looking for my sister. There are only three ways to break it. One is a binding stone inside the Castle grounds, if it is broken the spell will be broken. The second is me… if something happens to the either the curse or the counter curse the Shield will disappear since it is a condition of both. And the third is the worse and the most dangerous. The blood of someone that the shield recognizes as a friend can disguise a dark magic user long enough to let them slip through, but it risky since you need different blood for each person you are trying to get though.” 

“That’s what happened, Alex… the old woman and the girl was a sacrifice.” Kara said. 

“Then we have a problem… if the assassin got though using the old woman’s blood… then that means something else is here too.” Alex said.They all tensed as if on cue the ground shook beneath them, and then there was a roar off in the distance. _Oh great… here we go again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my apologizes on this being late, This chapter gave me some complications that I and my Beta (Who deserves all of the kudos) had to iron out. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please let me know what you think of it by leaving a comment below. 
> 
> I also wanted to let you all know that I will be taking a break for about a week and a half so that I can work on some personal things, and get caught up on a few of my other stories. The next chapter will be posted on Wed May 2nd, so please don’t be alarmed when there is no update next week. Thanks for your understanding and as always thanks for Reading :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I’m back! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy Reading!

Maggie was knocked off balance by the shaking earth and Alex reached out and prevented her from falling. Beside them Kara and Lena clung to each other to the hold themselves up. “What in the gods names is that?” Lena asked. 

Alex sniffed the air. “A Troll… looks like the Order’s magical meddling awoke the Guardian.” She turned to Lena. “Well, my Lady. It looks like I have need of your skills after all.” Lena nodded, and then pulled Kara aside so that she could come up with a plan. 

Alex leaned heavily against the tree and ignored the stab of pain that radiated from her wing, and took a deep breath. It was a magical wound and she was worried that there was something more to the spell than just fire. It felt as if her life force or at least her beast’s was draining away with each passing moment. She felt so tired, and she heard the beast let out a soft whine. 

“Alex.” Maggie came up beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. His eyes opened and he looked at her with the saddest expression. “Are you alright?” 

Alex shook her head. “The fireball, was more than just a fireball. He put another spell into it… it hurts.” 

“Can we do anything?” Maggie asked. 

“No, Kara doesn't have enough energy to heal it, and my beast is too tired to trade forms with me. Lena has magic, but she isn’t a healer. She had other skills which we need to get out of here.” She paused. “Maggie, whatever happens… don’t let me fall asleep.” 

“But….” 

“No, promise me. I’m not sure what spell he cast and I have no magic to read it. If I fall asleep, I might not ever wake up. So promise me.” 

“I promise.” Maggie said, running her hand along Alex’s furry cheek. She felt Alex lean into the touch and she pulled back slightly. “There is something different about you, Alex Danvers… you aren’t like any man I’ve met.” 

“About that… there is something that I need to tell you….” Alex said, but then the ground shook again and a large scaled creature came crashing into the clearing, ripping up branches and trees as he went. He stood taller than Alex, and was twice as big. His body was covered in scales and he held a tree branch in his fist like a club. He roared and Alex’s blood ran cold as his magic clashed against her form. She roared in answer, but she knew that it was weak compared to his and she cursed the assassin for leaving her in this state. If she had been a human or if her Beast was awake he would have back away recognizing the power in her blood, but she smelt of dark magic and whatever the spell was that was on her made him think that she was the enemy. 

Lena prepared a spell and a henge of thorns grew right in front of him. He yelped in pain and roared as he was momentarily blocked. “Run!” She yelled, and Kara and Maggie took off. Alex waited a second to make sure that they were clear before she scooped Lena into her arms and ran. 

Each step was agony and her body felt so heavy but still she ran. Lena cast spell after spell using her knowledge of forest magic to slow him down. They couldn’t kill him, he was as much a part of the forest as the trees, but they wouldn’t let him kill them either. They just had to get to the Castle wall and they would be safe. J’onn would have heard the commotion and would have instructed the remaining guards to strike camp and he would be heading back to the Castle too, Alex just prayed that they wouldn’t run into the same problem. 

Maggie ran as fast as she could, not stopping to look behind her. Kara was in front of her, casting bits of magic to clear their way, but even Maggie could see that she was tiring as well. So with a burst of speed she moved ahead and brought out her sword, cleaving branch after branch. Kara yelled out directions and soon they reached the castle wall, the gate was just a few yards to the south. 

“Follow it to the gate!” Kara yelled. “I’ll wait for the others.” 

“No, I’m not leaving you.” Maggie yelled back. She stood her ground, and after a second Kara nodded. 

They heard the crashing footsteps of both the Troll and Alex, and soon Alex came into view. Lena cast one more spell, and then jumped out of Alex’s arms. She landed on her feet, like a graceful feline, and ran over to join them. Alex wasn’t so graceful. Her tried body felt so heavy and her hind paws wouldn’t move. They got jumbled up and next thing they knew she collapsed on the the ground, with the Troll bearing down on her. 

Maggie was the first one to move and she moved without thinking. She ran over to Alex’s prone body and jumped in front of it, brandishing her sword. The troll slid to a stop and roared. 

“No! You will not pass any further!” She yelled. “This sword was given to me by Alex Danvers, as a gesture of friendship. I name it Shadowbreaker and may it show the truth of his kindness and justice to his enemies.If you will not recognize who is laying in front of you, then I hope you will recognize the magic on this blade!” She held it up, ready to strike if the Troll took one more step. 

It sniffed the air, and whined softly. Then slowly it bowed, it’s dark animal eyes met hers, wild and untamed. But then it soften, and she could see the goodness in it. It hummed at her, the same strange little wind chime tune that the Castle had made when it revealed the picture and then shuffled away. Maggie let out a small breath, amazed that it had worked, but yet she knew that it hadn't been her idea. She turned around to help Alex up and her breath caught in her throat. 

Alex was still and his eyes were closed. She knelt down trying to detect any breath, and while he was breathing it was very faint. “Alex!” She screamed, but there was no movement. Remembering her promise to not let him fall asleep, she slapped his face hard. 

She was rewarded with small growl and then one golden eye opened just a little. “Did… you… just hit me?” Alex’s voice was faint. 

“Yes… you told me to keep you awake, silly.” Maggie said, moving a lock of furry red hair out of his eyes. 

“Thank you.” He said, and he let out a shaky breath. 

“Don’t thank me yet… I may have to do it again.” 

“Maggie… I need to tell you something.” Alex said. 

“No, save your breath.” She looked up to see that Lena was gone and Kara was gesturing frantically at the Guard on top of the wall. 

“But…” 

“No. It’s alright. You can tell me later. Just relax.”Maggie said softly. 

Her voice was so beautiful and so compelling that Alex’s mouth closed. “So tired.” She whispered after a second. 

“I know, just relax. Don’t close your eyes just yet.” Maggie moved so that her face was the only thing that he could see. “Look at me, Danvers. You’re a badass, don't give up this easily.” 

“Ok.” Alex kept her eyes opened content just to look at Maggie’s face. She had never been this close to her, and she noticed that her brown eyes had bits of gold in them. “So beautiful.” 

She saw Maggie blush. “Thank you. You are sweet.” 

Alex felt her body move suddenly, and Maggie’s face moved away. “Maggie…. am I flying?” 

“No, Danvers… they have you on a stretcher.” Maggie said from down by her hind paws. Alex tried to look, it made her dizzy and she closed her eyes. Maggie’s face was the last thing on her mind as she felt into unconsciousness. 

**—————————-**

Kara paced the hall. “Love, can you please sit down?” Lena called out from her perch on the windowsill. “You are making me dizzy.” 

“No… it’s been two hours… she should be awake by now!” Kara said, then lowered her voice when she remembered that Maggie was nearby. The other woman was asleep in a nearby chair, curled up with Alex’s cloak over her lap. 

Lena got up, and moved to pull Kara into a hug. “She’ll be ok. Alex is tough, she’ll pull through.” Kara rested her head on Lena’s shoulder. “Now, tell me about what’s going on with them…” She motioned with her hand in Maggie’s direction. 

“Technically, Maggie is Alex’s betrothed. Her father was a guest here and stole a rose from the garden. Alex threatened to kill him, but he offered her Maggie’s hand in return. I told her to take him up on the offer, so that Maggie had the opportunity to get away from him, but I never expected for this to happen. They are soul bonded from almost the moment she stepped foot here.” 

“Yet, you are troubled.” Lena gently rubbed Kara’s back, feeling the tension in her… whatever they were. 

“Maggie doesn't know that Alex is a woman, but I can see that they have feelings for each other. I just don't want anyone, but especially Alex to get hurt.” 

Lena laughed. “Darling, I have a feeling things will work out. There is more to our new friend than meets the eye.” She ran her hand down Kara’s back and gently kneaded at the base of her spine. She felt Kara collapse more fully against her and she was aware of how long it had been since they had last seen each other. 

Lena gently tucked her finger under Kara’s chin and looked at her. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long my love.” 

“It’s all right. You’re here now, and that’s what counts.” Kara sighed as she moved forward bringing their lips together softly. They kissed for a moment before the sound of someone clearing their throat made them part with shy smiles. 

“Kara.” James said, pulling her into a hug. Which she returned with as much passion as she had kissing Lena. “You are safe.” 

“James.” Kara breathed before giving him a short kiss. “I’m glad you’re back.” She pulled away from him to grab his hand and then Lena’s. “Now you both are here.” 

Her relationship was unconventional, since she had both a boyfriend and a girlfriend, and she loved them both dearly. James was her rock, and he had been one of her best friends since she had arrived here. She loved him dearly and she had always known that she would marry him someday. But Lena had surprised her. 

She had been wandering through the forest one day taking a walk, when she had stumbled upon a little creek running though and decided to stop for rest and to enjoy the sunshine. She had her book with her and so she had taken off her boots and had stuck her feet in the water and enjoyed a page or two. Suddenly she felt something nibble at her toes and she had jumped up, when suddenly a head appeared. She had backed away and soon Lena’s naked body came up and out of the river like a goddess. She was the most beautiful woman that Kara had ever seen and instantly her heart had fallen for her. Lena had apologized for her trick and they spent many hours sitting there talking before J’onn had finally come out to find her. This continued for many days and slowly they had fallen in love with each other. 

She had found out that Lena was the estranged daughter of Lillian Luthor and the heir to the Luthor titles and land now that her brother had been imprisoned. She had forgone her birthright though and was content to live in the woods, tending to her plants and the creatures that shared her space. She was a forest witch, and she would only be ever truly alive when she walked among the trees, and she grew depressed if she was kept from her duties. 

Kara understood that and knew that Lena being who she was kept them apart since she knew her place was with her sister. For Kara being near people was the thing that made her happy and her magic was to bring joy to others. She wasn’t content to live in the forest anymore than Lena was content to live in the Castle. So they found a way to work it out. 

James knew right away that Lena had won his girlfriend’s heart but he knew too that Kara’s life and person didn’t belong to him. She was hers to do as she will, and so if being with him and Lena made her happy he wouldn’t be the one to stand in her way. Besides, Lena respected him as well, and treated his relationship with Kara with the same respect as he did with her relationship with Kara, and while they weren’t attracted to each other, they both knew that they held a part in the other’s lives. The only trouble that they would have would be telling Alex… but that was a discussion for another day. 

“We are, my love.” James said, giving her hand a squeeze. “How’s Alex?” 

“She’s still asleep. The healer says that we got her here in time, and he managed to heal the burn on her wing, and was able to flush the poison out of her system. She hasn’t woken up yet though.” 

James frowned and looked towards the door, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he turned back to his girlfriend. “Can I get you anything?” He asked her and he looked up at Lena to make sure that she knew that she was included in that invitation. 

“I’m alright. Thank you, James.” Lena said. 

“Can you bring us a snack?” Kara asked, blushing as her stomach growled. 

“Of course… you are always hungry my love.” He kissed her cheek and turned and headed towards the kitchen. 

“He’s a good man.” Lena commented. “You are lucky, Darling.” 

“I am… to have two amazing people in my life.” Kara said, kissing her once more. Then she sat down in a chair and sighed. 

Across the room, Maggie stirred and yawned. She had fallen asleep shortly after they had gotten Alex to the Castle, her exhaustion from running finally catching up with her. She shook her head, remembering flashes of dreams about a beautiful red headed woman in black armor. 

“Hey.” Kara said, realizing that Maggie was awake. 

“Hi… sorry that I fell asleep on you M’lady.” Maggie apologized as she stood. She draped Alex’s cloak around her shoulders feeling a little cold. As she turned her head she caught a whiff of his soap and his scent. He smelt like Sandalwood and ash and she immediately felt comforted by it. “How is Alex?” 

“Alex is well, and is resting right now. Thanks to you, we made it to the Healer in time.” Kara said. 

“Can I see him?” Maggie asked. 

Kara hesitated. “Alex shifted back… I just wanted you be aware. Normally Alex can’t wait to leave the beast behind, but I suspect this time it might be harder than usual.” 

“Because I can see him that way, even if it’s form that he loathes because at least he knows that I can see him and I’m not afraid.” Maggie said softly, almost to herself. 

“Yes. Alex really likes you, Maggie.” Kara said. “In just a short time, you have found your way into Alex’s heart. Please be gentle with it.” 

“I will.” Maggie said, but she knew that someday she might. After all he was a man and she was a lady who liked ladies. They would never be anything more than friends. 

Slowly Kara nodded, and Maggie disappeared behind the closed door. Kara sighed, and after a long moment Lena knelt down next to her, giving her thigh a squeeze. “I think Maggie and I might have a chat, I think we may have something in common.” She kissed Kara once more and gave her a quick hug before getting up and following Maggie behind the door into Alex’s room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I should be back on schedule for now, and I have a few other chapters on some of my other stories to post so be looking for that this weekend. Thanks for being patient with me, and this chapter was really fun to write. I kind of struggled with the idea of making Kara have a relationship with both Lena and James, but after thinking about for a while it just felt natural for this story so I hope that you all feel that way too. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, but remember if you don’t have anything nice or contructive to say, dont say anything at all. Thanks for reading! :) 
> 
> PS Don’t worry, Maggie will know the truth about Alex soon, the wait is almost over. :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Reading :)

Maggie crept into the room quietly. It was late and the room was dim, only lit by various candles that were scattered across the room. Alex was in bed, as she could see the blanket lay across his invisible body. The shadow that covered his form was brighter than it had been before, and she could see whips of color now, but the image was still fuzzy and out of focus. 

There was a chair by his bedside and feeling a little bold she moved forward and sat down. She wondered what he looked like and she tried to picture him, but the only thing she could think of the the woman from her dream. She had been tall, dressed in black armor, with short red hair that stuck up every which way, as she pulled off her helmet. In her dream, every time she had tried to talk to the woman she would disappear, so she was stuck looking at her from afar. 

Sighing she ran her fingers across the sheet wondering if she should touch his hand while he was asleep. Maggie heard movement behind her and turned to see Lena closing the door. She went to stand, but Lena waved her back down. 

“Sit, please.” Lena said. Maggie gave her a small smile and went back to studying Alex’s form. 

“You can see Alex can’t you? Maybe not the whole yet, but the image has changed yes?” Lena asked softly. 

Maggie turned around to gape at her in shock. “How did you…?” 

“Because you look more confident when you look at Alex’s form now, like when a baby begins to recognize their mother’s face when they speak. Kara hasn’t picked up on it yet probably, she can be oblivious sometimes.” Lena came and rested her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. Maggie didn’t know what to say. Lena nodded towards the balcony. “Come with me.” 

Maggie hesitated, not really wanting to leave Alex’s side. “It will be alright. Trust me.” Lena said, assuringly. 

After a second, Maggie nodded and followed her out to the balcony. 

“What do you want to talk to me about?” Maggie asked. She looked out over the wall out at the courtyard below. When Lena didn’t answer she turned around and found Lena leaning against the wall, just looking at her. “What?” 

“Nothing. I just wanted to look at you. You are very beautiful.” Lena said, the flirtatiousness coming back. Maggie blushed. 

“Thanks, that’s kind of you to say.” Maggie said. Lena stepped forward and ran her hand over Maggie’s cheek, cupping it gently. She used her other hand to smooth Maggie’s hair back from her face. Despite herself, Maggie’s eyes closed and she leaned into the touch. Then she realized what she was doing and she pulled away. 

_What the hell am I doing? It isn’t right, they will kill me if they know._

“It’s alright.” Lena said her voice changing, growing soft and soothing “I’m sorry. There’s no need to fear. You are among friends here.” 

“I dont know what you are talking about.” Maggie said her voice hard. Her worst fears were coming true. She had tried to hide her feelings, the emotions locked deep inside that only one person had ever seemed to find. Emily… but even that was cruel. Emily was the one person she had ever been real with and the only person who had rejected her and used her anyway. 

“But you do… it’s ok, Maggie. I like woman too. Kara and I are together…” 

“But James? James is with Kara.” Maggie said, confused. 

“Kara is with James as well… it’s unconventional but we make it work. Alex doesn't know about me though… I don’t think Kara is ready for Alex to know.” Lena said, coming closer. 

“But…” Maggie paused to gather her thoughts. “I…” She sighed feeling the tears come. Lena pulled her closer, gathering her into a hug. 

“It’s alright. You have bared your secret for long enough… let it go.” And Maggie did. She let go of all of the resentment and anger, all of the feeling of shame and worry and cried and cried, until there were no more tears left. Finally she raised her head from where she had hidden her face in Lena’s shoulder and looked up to realize that they were sitting on the floor and that she was cradled in Lena’s arms. 

“Sorry that I got you all wet.” Maggie said wiping her eyes. Lena let out a small laugh and raised an eyebrow at her. Maggie rolled her eyes and gave her a look. “Stop it.” 

“Sorry, I can’t help it.” Lena said. “But it’s alright. How long have you known?” 

“Since I was little. My first kiss was with a girl, and I just knew that I wouldn’t grow out of it. I haven’t. Which is why everything with Alex is so confusing.” 

“Alex is different… I can’t tell you much more than that. The rest will come with time, and with friendship.” Lena said, wondering how much she could get away with saying and not have Kara or Alex kill her later. 

“I know that he likes me, I can tell it in his actions. It makes it worse because I know he isn’t trying to get his hopes up when it comes to me, and I’m not trying to give him an idea that we are more than friends. But with every passing day there is a connection between us that I can’t explain.” Maggie confessed. 

Lena patted her shoulder. “You should tell Alex, my friend. No relationship, no matter what it is should be based on a lie. And besides you both might benefit from the air being clear between you.” 

Maggie shook her her head. “If only it were that simple. I can’t… I can’t risk him knowing and Him turning me away. I only have two months here… I…” her voice trailed away. 

Lena sighed and tried to find the words that she needed to explain, that Alex would understand but they were interrupted by a loud crash in Alex’s room. Lena jumped up and went to the door. She saw that Alex wasn’t awake yet, but was having a nightmare. Quickly she went over to her. 

“Easy now, my friend. Easy.” She patted Alex’s hand and the other woman stilled some. 

“So you can see him?” Maggie said, coming into the room behind her. 

“Yes, although I’m not sure why…” Lena said. “I wasn’t here when the countercurse was cast so by all rights I shouldn’t be able too.” 

Maggie thought that she knew why but she didn’t say anything. _It’s because of your connection with Kara, and the love you have for his sister._

Alex let out a small whimper, and Lena sat down next to her on the bed. “It’s alright. Your friends are here, Alex.” She grabbed Alex’s hand a gave it a small squeeze before letting go. 

Alex stilled and a second later she opened her eyes. “Lena?” 

“I’m here, Darling. And Maggie is here too.” She looked over her shoulder at Maggie. 

Alex looked away, feeling bashful. Lena just smiled. “I think I’ll go find your sister, and leave you two to talk.” She leaned over and gently kissed Alex’s cheek. “Tell her. She needs to hear it from you. Be brave, my friend and don’t let fear win.” Then she pulled away and left the room quietly, 

Maggie hesitated for a second but then she sat down in the spot where Lena had vacated. “How are you feeling?” 

Alex didn’t look at her, but she answered softly. “Better. Thanks for keeping me awake.” 

“You’re welcome.” Maggie paused. “Hey. Can you look at me?” 

Alex turned around in an instant. “How did you...?” 

“Well your voice sounds farther away, and while your image is blurred, I’m beginning to see the general shape of things, in color.” Maggie confessed. 

“Oh.” Alex didn’t know what to say. 

“The castle also fixed some of the paintings on the walls. I can see your silhouette in them.” 

“Maggie, I…” Alex paused to reach out a hand to touch her face. Maggie noticed and leaned into the touch, letting his fingers cup her cheek.“I have to tell you something… something important.” Alex finished softly. _If the curse is breaking then sooner or later she will know… it would be easier for me to know now how she feels than get to where she can see me and face her wrath._

“We don’t have to talk about this right now… just rest.” Maggie knew he was about to confess his feelings and she wasn’t ready for that. 

“No, I need you to know. I’m…” her voice broke, and she pulled her hand away. “I’m not who you think I am.” 

Maggie felt confused. This wasn’t where she thought this had been going. “What… what do you mean?” 

“I wasn’t trying to deceive you on purpose, but I was scared and it was easier to be who you wanted me to be and who your father thought that I was...” Alex rambled. 

Maggie grew nervous. _What was going on? Alex was the one person who treated her with kindness from the beginning, was that now all a lie?_ Maggie wanted to run, but she couldn’t. Whatever it was Alex needed to tell her, she would listen. He deserved that and she deserved to know what it is that he had been lying about. “What are you talking about Alex?” 

“I’m not a prince or even a man at all. My name is Lady Alexandra Marie Danvers, Crown Princess of our fair Kingdom. I’m a girl.” Alex said all in one breath, but it was enough that Maggie understood. She moved back from Alex, as her brain tried to process this new revelation. Alex tried not to let Maggie’s reaction bother her, but it felt as if she had been hit with another fireball, straight though the heart this time. 

“Wow… I wasn’t expecting that.” Maggie said, her brain trying to fill the awkward silence that has fallen. _At least now it makes sense why Kara kept using they as a pronoun for Alex… it wasn’t just the condition of the spell. It’s a testament to the love they have for her, and that everyone kept her secret, even Lena._

“I’m sorry I lied. I understand if you are upset.” Alex said, turning away again, the silence of the room making her stomach churn. 

Maggie frowned. “I’m not upset, Alex… It’s just kind of shocking. But yet a part of me feels like I should have known, most men wouldn’t treat me the way that you have.” 

“I know.” Alex said, a hint of pain in her voice that Maggie knew wasn’t from her injuries. “That’s why I took advantage of your father’s misconception. I’m sorry if I interfered. I never stopped to think that you may have had a life in the village that you had to leave behind.” She wondered if Maggie had a lover, some gentleman that she had been hiding from her father, or even maybe other friends. _Of course she did, she’s beautiful and smart. Who wouldn’t want a girl like her as a lover or as a friend?_

Maggie sighed. Her thoughts went to Emily, and the life she had left behind. The sex with Emily had been fantastic and she adored her friend very much, but what she had with her wasn’t real. If they would have been caught it would have been hell for them both, and Emily would have blamed her for the seduction and the affair. She had been fooling herself into thinking that Emily cared for her the same way that she did for her friend. “No, I had no life there… I just fooled myself into thinking that I did.” 

Being here with Alex felt like nothing she ever had experienced before. It was like her old life had been a dream and she was just now waking up. _How can that be… and does the fact that she’s a woman really change anything? She’s a princess, Margarita and you are just a poor blacksmith’s daughter. Besides, just because her sister likes girls doesn't mean that Alex does too. You can’t have her, and you might as well except that fact._

The silence stretched between for a long moment, and Alex was unsure of how to break it. “So you stood up to the Guardian… how did you know to use the sword?” Alex finally asked. 

“I don’t know… I wish I could say that I heard a voice in my head or something like that, but I didn’t. I just reacted.” 

“Well thank you.” Alex said “As a Danvers, he should have responded to me, but poison that the assassin left covered up my scent. It wasn’t until the Guardian recognized my magic and my blood on the sword that he backed down.” 

“Your blood?” Maggie looked at her a bit horrified. 

Alex chuckled. “Not my literal blood, but I made that sword with my own two hands, and I brought it to life.” 

Maggie nodded in understanding. “Ok good. I was hoping you didn’t do some weird dark magic spell on it or something.” 

“No, nothing like that.” Alex shook her head and then winced as a bolt of pain when though her back. In human form she had no wings, but the magical wound remained like a phantom pain for a limb she didn’t have. 

“Hey.” Maggie reached for Alex’s arm. Her fingers touched soft skin and she felt a shock go through her that she ignored. “Easy. The healer doesn’t want you to move around if you don’t have too.” 

“It itches.” Alex pouted and even though Maggie couldn’t see the actual features of her face she could picture it in her head. 

“Poor baby.” She teased, and she felt a blush in her cheeks. 

Alex felt her own cheeks flush and she was aware of Maggie’s hand rubbing her arm gently. It felt nice… and she never wanted it to stop. 

Maggie looked away towards the balcony trying to reign in her emotions. She pulled her hand away and dropped it into her lap. Having Alex so close made it hard to think, so it was welcome relief when J’onn knocked on the door. 

He rushed in after Alex had given him permission too, and gave them both a gentle hug. “Thank the gods… I was worried about you all.” He paused and turned to his Squire. “Kara told me how you got the Guardian to back down. Good job, and thank you.” He took her hand. 

The gentle touch and the warmth in his eyes was enough to break the wall that she was using to try and hold back her emotions. She felt tears spring to her eyes and she willed herself not to shed them. She stood up. “You’re welcome. I...um… I’ll let you two talk.” She knew that she was running, but she had too. Neither J’onn nor Alex moved to stop her, and so she fled the room as fast as she was able to and still keep her dignity. 

Outside she ran into Lena and Kara who were standing against the wall talking. Lena saw her coming and held up a hand. “Maggie wait…” 

“Just leave me alone.” Maggie said, moving right past her not even waiting. She just couldn’t stand the knowing looks or the pitying glances that her new friends would give her right now, so she headed towards the one place where they wouldn’t bother her… her room. 

**————————**

In the village, in the darkest room of the Tavern’s basement, a woman sat at a table finishing of a tankard of ale. She was dressed in a heavy cloak and her face was obscured by the hood, giving her an air of mystery and darkness. 

With a slam the door opened, but the woman didn’t flinch. “Report!” She said to the man who had entered. Her voice seemed soft and seductive, but the man knew better. 

“Yes, m’lady.” He said, standing behind her and he removed his hood. He was tall and willowy, with dark hair and a goatee. His eyes were red and the streaks of black paint and blood made him look like he had escaped from hell. “We breached the shield using the old woman and the girl’s blood, but our newest recruit was killed. Danvers and Zor-El know of our trick, it will not work again, and the Guardian has awoken.” 

“Then we must come up with a new plan. Sit.” The woman pointed at the chair next to her. 

He sat, and sighed softly. He had been worried that she was going to kill him for his failure, but at least for now he was safe, since she was inculding him in her plan. 

“Here.” She handed him a mug of ale and removed her hood. He knew better than to look. While his mistress was beautiful, he knew better than to meet her eye and he had seen what happened to those that did. She let her disguise melt away, revealing her dark graying hair and green eyes. He could feel her magic heavy in the air as a reminder and he swallowed hard. 

“Thank you, m’lady.” He whispered, taking a sip. 

“Tell me Adam… how’s your wife?” It took all he had not to spit out the mouthful of ale. Suddenly it didn’t taste so good. _What do you know of my wife?_

“Good m’lady. She’s a bit sad because her friend left, but other than that she’s seems fine and in good spirits. _I’ll kill you, witch if you lay a hand on her._

“Excellent… that friend was Maggie Sawyer right?” Her voice was coy as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. He swallowed hard, and set down the mug, lest he drop it on the floor. His hands were suddenly shaking. 

“Yes, but…” she lifted her hand to silence him and he closed his mouth with an audible click of his teeth. _Gods forgive me_

“Bring her to me, now! I wish to meet your Emily. She maybe be the key to destroying what is left of Alex’s heart. And when the last of the Danvers line falls, Kara Zor-El will be mine at last.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this lived up to how everyone pictured Alex telling her, I tried several different ways and this one was the one that flowed the best. A big thank you to my Beta for this one, she had her work cut out for her. Anyway, Let me know what you think, and as always thanks for reading! :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know 13 is suppose to be unlucky, but I think that this chapter is very lucky indeed. Happy Reading!

Maggie awoke from a deep sleep and rolled over in bed to look out of the window. It was well past dawn, and so with a heavy sigh, she got out of bed and got dressed quietly. Her thoughts strayed towards Alex’s revelation and her heart grew heavy. _I just can’t believe that I didn’t realize it before, that she was a woman… there was always something about “him” that seemed off, but I had figured it was just the curse._

Maggie sighed and watched a few birds fly by. _I dreamt of the redheaded woman in black armor again last night. Something about her seems so real, and I feel like she is connected to all of this. In her dream, the woman seemed to be warning her about something but she always seemed to wake up before figuring out what she was saying._

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in.” She said, turning to face the door. 

M’gann came in with her breakfast tray, and on it was a bouquet of beautiful yellow gold roses. “Wow.” 

“Alex sends her apologies for upsetting you. The healer has commanded her to stay in bed today, so instead of her presence this morning she sends you these and this letter here.” She handed Maggie a note and then set the tray down on the table. 

“My husband also sends you these. He says that you will be more comfortable wearing them and that your first lesson will be tomorrow at high noon. Bring your sword.” She removed a bag that had been hooked on to her arm. Maggie opened it and saw that it was a Guards Uniform similar to what James and J’onn wore when they were on duty. 

Maggie smiled excitedly. “Tell him thank you.” 

“I will. Enjoy your breakfast dear.” M’gann smiled at her and then left her alone to eat. 

Maggie set the bag down on the bed and then turned her attention to Alex’s note. Despite her best efforts, her heart still pounded in her chest at the anticipation. 

  


**Maggie,**

**The healer has commanded me to stay in bed today, so I am unable to deliver these flowers to you in person. I hope you will find this note a worthy substitute in the meantime.**

**I wanted to apologize for upsetting you yesterday. I know the truth about myself came as a shock and I feel horrible for causing you any type of heartache. When I place myself in your shoes and I think about how I might feel if our situations are reversed, I know that I would feel a betrayal of trust and hurt especially since we are technically betrothed to one another and that I consider us to be friends.**

**I did what I did to protect you, but I’ve been thinking about this all night and I realize that I was thinking more like a man in a way that we both dislike by assuming that you were some damsel in distress that needed saving. Your relationship with your father was your own business and I shouldn’t have interfered with it without understanding the full story. So with humble supplication, I do sincerely ask for your forgiveness.**

**I hope we can talk about this in person, but I also respect that it may take some time, so I’m ready whenever you want to talk. And if you never wish to see me again, note that I will still honor our agreement, and I wish you the best in everything you will do in life.**

**Your friend, Alex.**

  


Maggie sat down at the table and stared at the letter with unseeing eyes. So many thoughts ran through her head. _Oh, Alex…_ Behind the formality of the words, Maggie could read Alex’s fear that things were over between them. 

Sighing she sat back in the chair and took stock of her feelings. She wasn’t really upset with Alex for lying, because she knew that for one Alex was trying to protect her and two Alex was protecting herself. But she had to admit that it made her more aware of the connection between them and the idea that something between them would be possible now that she knew that Alex was a woman, more so than when she had thought that Alex was a man. She didn’t want to fall in love, she didn’t need that complication in her life, especially when love wasn’t possible between them. But her heart didn’t seem to understand that. 

Maggie pulled her plate towards her, and tried to stop thinking about it for now. Breakfast first, and then she would find Alex and have the conversation that they both had been avoiding. 

**————————-**

“Come on, Alex…” Kara sighed. “You didn’t eat anything for dinner either. You have to eat something.” 

“I’m not hungry.” Alex said sullenly. She refused to look at her sister and instead stared out the window. 

Kara sighed, and looked over at Lena hoping that her lover would help her win this fight against her obstinate sister. Lena crossed her arms and shook her head, knowing better than to go up against this particular Danvers when she was in a mood. 

Kara glared at her girlfriend, but then looked back at Alex with sad eyes. Darkness was waving off of Alex’s form and it almost made her choke as it hit her. It hadn’t been this bad in a long time, not since Max. 

Kara knew that this was bigger than just what was happening with her sister and Maggie.. there was something else going on with Alex and she didn’t understand what it could be. 

“Alex, talk to me. What is going on?” Kara sat down next to Alex on the bed and grabbed her hand. Alex’s skin was cold and Kara rubbed her thumb over Alex’s knuckles hoping to warm her up. 

Alex sighed. She didn’t want to talk. All she wanted was to be left alone, after all it wasn’t like Kara would understand anyway. 

When Alex didn’t reply, Kara just leaned over and kissed her cheek. Then she got up and walked away. Lena watched her go, and after a moment of looking Alex over she followed her girlfriend out of the room. 

Alex sighed when they were gone, and it was only then that she let herself cry. The ache in her chest grew and she rubbed the spot, where she had always associated the Beast to be. The poison had done its work and it had put the beast in her to sleep, and even after they had given her an antidote the beast had yet to wake. It felt as if a part of her was missing and it hurt worse that the phantom injury she was feeling from her wings. Between losing her beast and having Maggie mad at her, it left her feeling very low. 

_I know that Kara wants to help, but she can’t fix this. No one can… I messed it all up._

A knock on the door made her jump, and she wished that she could growl at her sister. “Go Away, Kara!” She settled for yelling, before rolling over to pull the blankets over her head. The door opened anyway and a voice made her jump. 

“Are you alright?” Maggie took in the blanket covered form of her friend with a nervous expression. Alex immediately sat up and looked over at Maggie sheepishly. 

“Maggie…” 

“Can we talk?” 

“Of course.” Alex pointed to the chair that sat at her bedside, but Maggie chose to sit next to her. 

“How are you feeling?” Maggie asked. Alex’s form seemed a little more sullen today, and she supposed that it was directly related to how Alex was feeling as well as her own feelings for the woman. 

“Ok, the wound feels better.” Alex said, but Maggie sensed there was something more. She debated whether or not to push her, and decided against it. She reached out for the spot where Alex’s hand appeared to be and smiled when she got it right. Alex’s fingers curled around her own. Her skin felt cold though and Maggie frowned. 

“Your hands are like ice, are you sure that you are feeling ok?” Maggie had noticed in the few times they touched Alex’s body ran hotter than normal. Suddenly it hit her like a ton of stone. 

“Your beast, is it… alright?” She asked hesitantly. Maggie suddenly found herself with Alex in her arms as the other woman cried into her chest. “Um, Alex?” She stammered awkwardly. 

“Sorry.” Alex tried to pull away, but Maggie tugged her back. The momentary shock was gone and instead a warm feeling hit her low in her belly as she felt Alex’s body rub against her own. _Yep, can’t mistake those for a man’s._ The sound of Alex’s sobs pulled her out of her haze and she reprimanded herself. She wrapped her arms around the weeping woman. 

“Hey… it’s ok.” Maggie said, trying to soothe her. “Tell me what’s going on?” 

“It’s gone… I haven’t felt the beast since I woke up. It’s stuck in a deep sleep and I can’t get it to wake up. What if it never does…?” Alex said, the last word almost lost as she hiccuped from crying so hard. 

Maggie rubbed her back and rocked her a little. She could feel Alex’s heart beat racing against her chest. She didn’t know what to say, so she just settled for holding her until all of Alex’s tears stopped. 

Now that she was done crying Alex felt a little mortified that she had just flung herself into Maggie’s arms. She had to admit though that having Maggie hold her felt wonderful, but they weren’t on the same page and it was unfair of herself to just drop everything into Maggie’s lap. She pulled back again and this time Maggie let her go. 

“Sorry… I...um…” Alex stammered. She huffed and tried again. “I’m sorry to unload all of that on you, you came here to talk.” Alex wiped her eyes. 

Being so close to her, Maggie could feel the connection between them like never before. She could feel the turmoil that was rising in Alex’s body and she knew she would do everything in her power to rid her of that pain. “It’s alright. I’m sorry about the Beast. I hope it wakes up soon.” 

“Thank you. So what did you want to talk about it?” 

“Your letter and us… those were beautiful flowers by the way.” Maggie said. 

Alex gulped. “They were my grandmother’s passion. She enjoyed gardening very much. She created her own hybrids of flowers. That one is called Mountain Gold, for the way the sun rose over the mountains.” She rambled nervously. 

“Alex.” Maggie said, putting a hand back on Alex’s arm. “I’m not mad at you. And I’m sorry that I gave you that impression.” 

“Oh.” Alex felt the breath leave her body in relief. She felt all tied up in knots. 

“I’m a bit shocked, but I’m not mad. I appreciate the letter and I accept your apology and I offer one of my own for making you worry. We do have some things to discuss though.” 

Alex nodded, the stone in her stomach still felt heavy and she swallowed hard. “Where did you want to start?” She asked. 

“My father had no idea who you were… if you are the heir to the throne why doesn’t anybody realize you are here?” 

“The curse partly… my identity is removed. The outside world knows I exist but as a distant memory. Only my Mother and the council remain aware, which is partly because of Kara’s spell. The other is that in order to help her grief and to keep me protected my Mother told the council that I was physically and mentally injured and that it was better for me to remain here instead of follow her back to court.” 

“That’s really sad, but it makes sense.” Maggie said. “Why did you pretend to be a Lord, and agree to marry me?” 

Alex choked. “Um… I mean this is my Castle. But most people don’t respond well to an invisible being let alone finding out I’m a woman so it was just easier to pretend to be a Lord. No one would question a man living alone with his staff. Personally though, my father raised me to be myself and to enjoy what I wanted to enjoy. I like doing things that are traditionally male things. Like making weapons and fighting. I know you can’t see me, but I dress like a boy. It’s just who I am.” She paused. 

“As for marrying you, your father offered your hand in payment for his life. I got the better end of the deal, but I guess anyone who would sell his daughter off to pay his own debt didn’t deserve to be responsible for anyone anymore let alone someone as kind and amazing as you.” Alex winced slightly as she replayed her words in her head. It didn’t quite come out the way that she meant it, but she hoped that Maggie understood. 

“That’s sweet. Would you have gone through with marrying me, if you haven’t had told me the truth?” 

Alex sighed. “Maggie… it was and is up to you to decide the status of our relationship. I meant what I said that I would be respectful of you and your decision.” 

Maggie read between the lines and she realized that Alex never intended for her to stay, no matter the outcome, she had always planned on Maggie leaving. It broke Maggie’s heart to think that Alex had resigned herself to being abandoned, to being stuck here alone and forgotten, to never finding love or the one to break the curse. 

She took a deep breath, and she wondered if she was doing the right thing or not by pushing but she had to know. There was something between them and she needed to know what it was. “And now… would you still go through with it knowing that I know the truth?” 

Alex was quiet for a long time, almost to the point where Maggie was afraid that she wasn’t going to answer. 

Finally in a quiet whisper, Alex said. “I like you, Maggie. It would have been an honor to marry you. You are everything that I would want in a partner. But I realize that you might not feel the same way since I’m a girl and I don’t expect you to…” her voice died away as Maggie moved to pull Alex back into her arms for a hug. 

Maggie would have made the move to kiss her but since she couldn’t quite make out Alex’s face yet, she didn’t want to risk accidentally hurting her. 

“I like you too, Alex. I have from the start, which really came as a shock considering that I’ve never been attracted to a man before. Now, it makes sense.” Maggie said softly. She could feel Alex staring at her and she smiled in reflex. 

Alex reached out a finger and gently ran it across Maggie’s jawline, tracing her dimples. Maggie shivered at the touch. 

“So where do we go from here?” Alex asked after a moment. 

“We take it slow… m’lady. Can I interest you in another picnic on the lake tomorrow after my lesson?” Maggie said. 

“Yes… I would enjoy a picnic with you.” 

“Good, then I will graciously take my leave and leave you to your rest.” Maggie teased and was rewarded with a belly laugh from the woman in front of her. 

“Until tomorrow.” Alex sighed and removed her hand from Maggie’s cheek. She wanted to kiss the other woman badly, but she was too nervous to move. It was still hard for her to believe that this wasn’t just a dream. 

Maggie gently pulled back from Alex’s space and stood up slowly. She didn’t really want to leave but she knew that she had too. She could sense Alex’s nerves and this wasn’t exactly easy for her either. They both needed some space to process what was happening. She walked quietly over to the door and opened it. “Until Tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this is a week late, I had an unexpectedly busy week and I had a hard time figuring this chapter out. I had it finished, but it felt off so ended up rewriting it a total of four times before this finally came out. I’m glad I think this is the best and it’s about time that they acknowledged what they both have been feeling since the beginning.   
> Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and as always thanks for reading. :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this one. Happy Reading! :)

“You seem happier today.” Kara commented as she helped her sister get dressed. The Healer had allowed her out of bed, but raising her arms to shoulder height still hurt her back. He suspected it would be a few days before the last of the pain went away. 

“I am.” Alex said softly, as Kara straighten up her tunic. 

“I suspect your conversation with Maggie was a big part of fixing that.” Kara teased. The darkness that was overwhelming Alex’s form had retreated and instead Kara could feel nothing but happiness and joy. 

“It helped yes. I’m sorry for giving you trouble.” Alex said. 

Kara sighed and kissed her sister’s cheek. “It’s alright. Love you, Sis.” 

“Love you too.” 

Kara stepped back and gave her the once over before turning her attention to the food that Lena had brought them earlier before disappearing. Kara knew that her lover was getting a bit restless behind these walls and surprisingly James had requested her help with something. It did her heart good to see those two getting along. 

“So Al, what did you and Maggie talk about last night?” Kara said between bites of toast. 

“Our relationship.. we both admitted that we like each other and we are having a picnic down at the lake after her lesson.” Alex said quietly. She moved over and sat down taking a piece of toast for herself, finally feeling hungry for the first time since she had been injured. The Beast still slept, but this thing with Maggie that was blooming was enough of a distraction to focus on rather than agonize over the emptiness inside of her. 

Kara squealed and rushed over to give her a hug. “That’s amazing! So she likes girls too… see I told you weren’t the only one.” 

Alex rolled her eyes. Her sister was crazy sometimes but she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

**—————-**

“Can I ask you something?” Maggie asked M’gann as the older woman helped her with the uniform. 

“Of course.” M’gann said, making a mark with a charcoal pencil on where she needed to take in Maggie’s pants. J’onn had tried to find a uniform that would fit the small woman, but it wasn’t fitting right. Luckily M’gann was a professional and would have the job done before Maggie had at her lesson. 

“What do you know about dreams?” Maggie asked nervously. The woman in black armor had appeared to her again this morning and this time she was more sure that ever that the lady was warning her of something. 

“They are the gods’ way of talking with us… leading us to the future or helping us understand our past. Why do you ask?” M’gann got out her needle and thread and motioned for Maggie to stand still. 

“I’ve been having this dream since we returned from the Forest… it’s of a red-haired woman in black armor. In the first dream she kept trying to talk to me, but she kept disappearing. I spent the whole dream trying to find her. The last two dreams, I can see her and she can see me, but no matter how we try to communicate I can’t hear her. I feel like she is warning me of something but I can’t understand what she is trying to tell me.” Maggie felt a dire sense of dread flood her body but after a second it was gone. 

M’gann paused and stood up. “A Red Haired woman in black armor you say… how did she wear her hair?” 

Maggie looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “That’s a silly question… it was short, and stuck up in all directions, like Winn’s haircut.” 

“Holy… Come with me.” M’gann said grabbing her arm and practically ran with her out of the room. 

“Wait!” Maggie said, struggling to run and hold up her pants at the same time. But M’gann didn’t stop. They traveled through the hallways until they reached the hallway that held the pictures of Alex’s family line. They stopped in front of a picture and M’gann pointed. 

“What do you see?” 

“Nothing.” Maggie said out of breath. And it was true. It was one of the pictures that the curse had blacked out. Not even Alex’s profile was visible in this one. Maggie had to admit she was a bit disappointed. She had thought that since they had expressed feelings for one another that the curse would give way even more but it hadn’t. 

“Damn it!” M’gann shouted, in an characteristic display of anger. 

“I’m sorry.” Maggie said quietly. 

“No, Maggie… it’s not you. I just feel like we keep getting closer only to have us find we are still two steps back. I just want things to be back the way that they were.” M’gann said, exhaustion sounding in her voice. She leaned against the wall and sat slowly. 

“What did you hope for me to find here?” Maggie asked quietly after a long moment of silence. 

“Answers… but if the Castle doesn't want you to find them than I must be mistaken about the meaning. I apologize for leading you away.” M’gann said standing up. “Let’s get back and I'll…” 

“Wait!” Maggie interrupted having taken one last look at the painting. It rippled and shimmered for a long moment and then the darkness retreated leaving her with one single image. “Holy hell…” 

“Oh my… you can see it!” 

“Yes, and I think I understand my dream now.” Maggie said excitedly. She turned to her friend who had tears in her eyes. “Help me finish getting dressed and then I need to see Alex.” 

**——————-**

Alex stood on the wall top overlooking the courtyard. She wanted to watch Maggie’s lesson but without being close enough to make her nervous. The sun beat down on her black cloak, but it felt good as she still felt cold. She checked the sun’s position and realized it was still early so she sat down in her favorite spot against the back wall and took out her parchment and a pencil deciding to draw. 

She pictured Maggie’s face in her mind and started sketching. But after only a second the sound of running footsteps made her pause and look up. It was Maggie dressed in a Guard’s uniform and the sight of her made Alex’s heart beat wildly in her chest. She stood up. 

“Maggie.” She called out, not wanting to scare the other woman if she didn’t spot her right away. 

“Alex!” Maggie yelled practically sliding her way into Alex’s arms. “I have to talk to you… I have to tell you…” she wheezed. 

Alex’s heart fell. “Oh ok… here why don’t you sit down. Take a breath.” She guided the woman to sit where she had been sitting a moment ago. She offered Maggie a drink out of the wine skin full of water that she had with her, but Maggie shook her head. 

“What’s going on? If it’s about the picnic or my being here… I can leave or we can make it another time.” 

Maggie’s hand reached out to touch her face and Alex leaned into the touch. “No. It’s not about that. I’m ok with you here and nothing will stop me from being at the picnic this afternoon.” She gave Alex a look and all of Alex’s fear melted away. 

“Ok… so what’s going on?” 

“Your Beast… I found it or rather it found me…” Maggie said excitedly. 

“What?! What do you mean?” Alex was very confused now. 

“Ever since the Forest when you got injured I’ve been dreaming about this lady in black armor with red hair. The first dream she kept disappearing before I could figure out what she wanted, but the past two dreams have been different. She had been by my side and I can touch and see her. She keeps trying to tell me something, warn me I feel about something in the future but I can’t understand or hear her.” She felt Alex’s body stiffen beside her at the description. 

“I asked M’gann about it today and she took me to the hallway that has all of the pictures. She asked me if I could see a picture and at first it was blank but then it revealed itself to me. It was you at 16, when Your father gave you that armor for your birthday. The woman in my dream is you, and I believe that your beast was found a way to communicate with us.” 

“Oh Maggie…” Alex was too overcome with emotion to speak. She pulled Maggie to her arms and held her close. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me, Alex, thank the being that lives in you for being so resourceful. Now that I know who it is that I’m talking to maybe I can get somewhere now.” Maggie said returning the hug. They held each other for a long moment either wanting to break away. 

It took J’onn whistling at them from down below for them to realize that they weren’t alone. “Pardon me Your Grace, but I have need of my Squire.” He said, and both Alex and Maggie laughed. They pulled away and Alex wiped the few tears of joy from her eyes. 

“Thank you.” Alex said again. She didn’t realize how worried she had been until there was no need to worry. 

“You’re welcome.” Maggie said, running her hand down Alex’s shoulder to squeeze her hand. 

“How did you know I was here, did Kara tell you?” Alex asked. 

Maggie leaned closer. “Nope, I saw you up here. You are a lot brighter today and while your face is still a mystery, I can finally see that part of the darkness is a black cloak and that you wear a red wolf on your chest.” She pulled back and poked the wolf’s head for good measure. 

Then she winked and turned to walk away before Alex could say anything. Alex just stood there for a long moment just staring at the spot that Maggie had left behind to excited to move. 

It wasn’t until Maggie started laughing from down in the courtyard that Alex finally blinked and she rubbed her face hoping that the red flush on her skin wasn’t visible from down below. 

**————-**

The lesson went by so slowly from Alex’s point of view as she was eager for their picnic. But she was impressed with Maggie’s skills as a fighter. She was good with a sword, ok with a staff, and both her and J’onn were both pleasantly surprised when Maggie broke four arrows by splitting them in two each time she hit dead center. 

The amazing thing was to that Maggie didn’t use a quiver and instead held her arrows in the draw hand and could fire three at a time. Her speed was incredible and it was like watching poetry in motion. 

“How did you do that?!” Alex asked, unable to stay quiet anymore. She jumped down from the wall and moved closer. 

“How did you do that?” Maggie countered referring to the height. 

“Magic… now you… that was incredible.” 

“Thank you. I’ve been practicing since I was young. My father traveled a lot and so one of the village boys taught me how to use a bow. I used it to hunt for food and I just kept practicing.” 

“You are very good, better than me.” J’onn said placing a hand on her shoulder. “I think that’s enough for today. Why don’t you two go get ready for your picnic?” 

“Thank you J’onn. It was an honor.” Maggie said, surprising them both by giving him a hug. He returned it and then Maggie walked over and took Alex’s hand. 

“Come on. I have a surprise for you.” Maggie said excitedly. Alex didn’t think that she could handle any more surprises, but she wanted nothing more than to spend time with the woman who was slowly finding her way into her heart. 

“Ok.” Alex said as she let Maggie guide her down the path. 

**————**

At the edge of the Forest, Lena and James were just returning from a trip to Lena’s cottage when there was a commotion at the gate. James rushed forward upon seeing that there was a crowd of Guardsman gathered around something. 

“What is going on here?!” He shouted and as one the Guards all stood at attention. 

“Sir… we found this woman.” One of the Guards reported motioning to the woman on the ground. She had been beaten and was bleeding heavily. 

“Well get a healer!” James said when nobody moved for a moment. Lena moved into action though, she gently cradled the woman’s head in her arms and used her apron to wipe away some of the blood from her eyes and mouth. 

“Thank you.” The woman whispered, her voice breaking. 

“What were you doing here?” 

“Need to see Maggie… Maggie Sawyer.” The woman said, just as she lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week is their picnic and their first true date.Who is excited?! I’m excited and I hope that you all won’t kill me for making you wait a week. I promise it will be worth it. Let me know what you think about this chapter and what you think is going to happen in the next chapter by leaving me a comment below. I love hearing from you all. Any mistakes are my own and my Beta is amazing so all the credit for making this readable belongs to her. Thanks for reading and I will see you all next week. 
> 
> PS: I’m looking for prompts for a Pride project that I’m hopefully going to debut the week counting down to Pride (so June 24-30) if you have any ideas. I’m still working on my other projects as well, so dont send me hate for wanting to start something new. I just really want to do something Sanvers for Pride month, because I miss them so much. Anyway, if you have any ideas let me know, by either leaving a comment below or message me on tumblr (Same user name). Thanks and happy early Pride month to you all!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m posting this early because I think we all need it after tonight’s episode. Happy Reading! :)

Kara ran up to them as the guards gently moved the unconscious woman from the stretcher to the bed. “Who is she?” She asked them but they all shook their head. Lena stepped out from behind the screen, dressed in what looked like the healer’s spare tunic and pants. Her hair was wet, and she looked exhausted. 

“What happened?” Kara said rushing over to her. 

“Nothing, Darling.” Lena said quickly. “I’m not sure who the woman is, but she knows Maggie.” 

“Oh?” Kara moved a lock of hair out of Lena’s eyes. 

“She asked for her by name before she passed out. She’s been beaten pretty badly.” Lena paused and leaned against Kara’s side. “Where is our friend?” 

Despite the situation Kara smiled. “Her and Alex are having a picnic by the lake right now. They finally talked about their feelings.” 

Lena grinned. “That’s amazing.” But then her smile faded. “Should we tell them?” 

Kara thought for a moment. Alex seemed content for the first time in a while and she was loathed to disturb them. She sighed. 

“No. Let the healer work on her and let her rest. And let Alex and Maggie have their lunch. I’ll go let them know in an hour. I’ll accept the consequences if something happens.” Kara said. The Guards nodded and the healer bowed slightly. The Guards left to attend to the rest of their duties and the healer paid no attention to them as he worked on healing the woman’s wounds. 

Kara guided Lena out of the room and they walked hand in hand towards her room. 

“Where’s James?” Kara asked softly. 

“He’s still finishing overseeing the clean up. The woman was bleeding heavily from a head wound. That’s why I changed. I was covered in it.” Lena said sadly. 

“Hmm. I wonder what her story is, and how she knows Maggie.” Kara said, guiding Lena into her room, so that her lover could change into her own clothes. She would give Alex and Maggie an hour and then she had no choice but to tell them. She hoped that she was doing the right thing. 

**—————-**

“Close your eyes.” Maggie said gently as they neared the lake. Alex did. 

Then Maggie laughed. “You know I can’t see you… how do I know you aren’t peeking.” She teased. 

“I promise I won’t peek.” Alex said softly. Maggie squeezed her hand and Alex felt her heart pound. Maggie’s skin was warm and soft against her own and she felt a bolt of heat flush her skin. 

They walked in silence and Alex trusted Maggie to guide her to where they were suppose to go. 

“Ok.” Maggie said, guiding them to a stop. “Open your eyes.” 

Alex did and she gasped. Maggie had put up an awning over their picnic spot to hide them from the afternoon sun. A soft blanket covered the grass and all kinds of pillows and blankets had been laid out so that they could recline and relax in comfort. A gentle breeze blew over the lake cooling the area and Alex could think of no better way to spend the afternoon. 

“Wow.” Alex said, impressed. It made her feel good that Maggie had taken the time to do something special for her, and she was already thinking of ways she could return the favor. 

“Do you like it?” Maggie said, a hint of worry in her voice. 

“I love it. It’s perfect.” Alex said. Maggie let out a little sigh and Alex realized that the woman beside her was just as nervous as she was and it made her feel a little more relaxed. 

“Good, I just thought with your back and all you should be comfortable.” Maggie said, as she tugged Alex forward and motioned for her to sit down. Then she sat down next to her and they reclined in their own little bubble. 

“Hey.” Alex said, pulling Maggie’s hand to her lips and she kissed the back of it softly. “It means a lot that you would think enough about this to think about my back. I um… it just means a lot.” 

“You deserve someone to take care of you, Alex. Everything around here seems to rest on your shoulders and that’s a lot to put on one person. So I just want you to relax for just this moment and not worry about anything other than just being you.” Maggie said softly. She rubbed her thumb against Alex’s hand, and then gently untangled their fingers so she could grab the basket that held their lunch. 

Maggie opened it and the smell of fresh bread and roast beef filled the air and Alex’s stomach growled. 

“Sorry.” She said feeling a little embarrassed. She rubbed her stomach lightly. “I guess I’m a little hungry.” 

Maggie wanted to tease her, but when she had run into Kara in the kitchen before her lesson. The younger Danvers told her that Alex hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, which Maggie had figured out was probably attributed to her missing beast and the tension between them. So rather than say anything she just smiled as she passed Alex a sandwich. 

Alex waited until Maggie got hers and then they leaned against the pillows and cuddled a bit closer to each other. They didn’t talk as they ate, but the silence was comfortable. Alex felt Maggie scoot closer and she almost stopped breathing as she felt Maggie’s head rest against her shoulder. 

“Am I hurting you?” Maggie asked concerned. Alex quickly shook her head no, and then remembered that she needed to respond. 

“No!” She said too quickly and too loudly. She felt her face flush and Maggie laughed. 

“Good.” Maggie said as she took another bite of her sandwich. 

“Watching you practice was fun.” Alex said after a moment. “You are really good.” 

“Thank you. I always wanted to be a knight… but my father…” 

Alex made a small noise of displeasure in the back of her throat. It was supposed to be a growl, but it came out more like a croak. Her face flushed again and Maggie smiled. 

“You are so cute.” She said, and Alex’s flush grew deeper. 

“I don’t feel cute. It feels weird. The beast has been apart of me for so long that I almost feel naked without them.” Alex said softly. “But I interrupted. What were you saying about your father?” 

Maggie snuggled closer. “He was a hard man, but I know in his own way he cares about me, but I’m glad to be away from him. Now I can be my own person and I don’t have to hide who I am here. It was lonely in the village.” 

Alex sighed and moved so that her arm was around Maggie. Even though Maggie snuggled into the spot that she had opened to her, Alex still had to ask. “Is this ok?” 

Maggie nodded. 

Alex sighed in contentment. “What was it like in the village? Did you have a…girlfriend?” 

“Well, when my father was away on business it was better. I made a few coins by hunting and selling what I could catch to the other merchants. I usually used the money to buy food or to buy a few supplies to make things, little gifts for my mother or my friends.” Maggie paused wondering if she should tell her about Emily. Apart of her was worried that Alex would think ill of her for sleeping with her married friend, but the other part of her knew that if their relationship was going to go somewhere, Emily wasn’t a secret she could keep. 

“As for a girlfriend, I met someone when we were in school. I thought the world of her and she liked me, but we kept things a secret, scared of what the others would think of us. I thought we were in love, which is why it was so easy for her convince me to stay with her even after her father married her off to someone else. I’m ashamed of it now, and I realized that she was just using me for a good time, but she was my best friend and it still hurts.” Maggie felt a tear roll down her cheek and she shook her head. Emily wasn’t worth her tears. 

Alex pulled her closer and kiss the top of her head. A part of her wanted to be worried that Maggie would cheat on her like Max did, but she quickly pushed that voice out of her head. She knew that it wasn’t the quite the same thing. It must have been hard to watch the person you have feelings for be with someone else and knowing that there was nothing you could do. 

“I’m sorry.” Alex said quietly. “You deserve better than being hidden away in the shadows.” 

“So do you.” Maggie said softly. They took a moment to enjoy being so close to the other and after a while Maggie finally said. “So how about you? Did you have someone?” 

Alex shook her head. “No, nothing like that.” She felt ashamed of her inexperience and she knew that talking about Max would just make her look foolish. 

Maggie felt her discomfort and wanted to reassure her. 

“Al… it’s ok. It’s not a contest, I’m not judging you or anything like that. I just want to get to know you.” She paused and kissed Alex’s shoulder. “Just talk to me, ok?” 

“I’m not very good at talking.” Alex mumbled quietly. “I haven’t had anyone to talk to beside my sister and J’onn for the most part for a long time. Not since…” 

“The curse.” Maggie finished. “What about before that?” 

Alex shrugged. “I was betrothed once.” Maggie eyebrows shot up. And she looked up, wishing she could see Alex’s face. “He was a Prince from another kingdom. His name was Max. My father wanted to join our kingdoms, and his father wanted a grandson.” 

Maggie wrinkled her nose. “How old were you?” 

“I was sixteen when we first met. He spent the summer with us. He was nice enough. I wanted so much to like him, but by that time I already knew I was… different.” She paused. Maggie rubbed her fingers over Alex’s arm, encouraging her to continue. 

“I told him that I didn’t want to consummate our marriage until our wedding night, he thought it was because I took a vow before the gods, but in truth I just wanted to avoid being with him in that way until I couldn’t anymore. I felt guilty because he was a nice guy and we were friends, or so I thought at the time, and I wished that I could tell him the truth, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t avoid kissing him either, and while it was enjoyable it just felt boring.” Alex stopped and looked away towards the lake. 

Maggie suspected that the story didn’t end well, and her heart ached for the woman leaning against her. She had been through so much in such a short amount of time. 

“What happened?” Maggie asked after few moments of silence. 

“My father was killed and I was cursed. Max promised me that it didn’t matter and that he would find a way to break the spell. James found him in another woman’s bed two weeks after everything happened.” Alex’s voice was still and cold, and Maggie could feel the pain radiating from her. 

“I wish he would have told me that he was unhappy with me, and I would have released him from our bond, with peace between us. But instead he broke it. When J’onn and James brought him to account for his actions he chose to blame them on others rather than take responsibility for his actions.” Alex said. Maggie suspected that there was a bit more to the story than what Alex was saying, but she figured that it must have been awful. She could only imagine what kind of nasty things that a man like Max would have slung in her direction. To be cursed and grieving, and then have someone that you thought that you could count on, do something like that… well it certainly explained why Alex was so guarded. 

“He sounds horrible.” 

“He was.” Alex felt exposed and raw. It felt good to finally talk about it, but at the same time it felt embarrassing and shameful. “Sorry, that probably wasn’t the story that you wanted to hear.” She didn’t even realize that she was crying until Maggie leaned up to wipe her cheeks. 

“Hey… Come here.” Maggie said, pulling her into a hug. Alex hesitated then after a second, she relaxed into Maggie’s embrace. 

“He’s a jerk and he didn’t deserve to be with someone as special as you are.” Maggie whispered in her ear. “You deserve so much better Alex.” 

For the first time in a while, Alex let herself start to believe it. They sat there like that for a long time, wrapped in the other’s arms. 

Until finally Alex pulled away. “Now that I brought down the mood, I know what we can do.” She bounced excitedly and Maggie laughed. 

“What?” 

“Let’s go swimming!” Alex said, excitedly. 

“Swimming, but I’m not dressed for that.” Maggie said. 

“It’s ok. It’s just us here. I’ll turn my back while you take off your armor. Please Maggie.” Alex begged. 

Maggie laughed enjoying the small feelings of happiness and pleasure coming from Alex that she could feel though their connection. “Ok, fine. But no peeking.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Alex said. Maggie just grinned evilly and leaned closer. 

“Not even if I asked you too.” Maggie’s voice was just the right tone of teasing and heat. 

“Um…” Alex felt a wave of desire crash though her body. She forgot how to breathe. Maggie laughed and put a hand on her arm. 

“Breathe Danvers. I know that you are a gentleman. Now turn.” Alex did, practically tripping over her feet in an effort to stand up and turn around. 

She took the time to take off her own cloak and her outerwear, leaving her in the short breeches and the undershirt that she usually wore in place of the traditional woman’s underwear. She jumped when she felt Maggie’s arms wrap around her waist. Maggie’s skin was warm and she could feel Maggie’s barely clothed body against her back. She wondered if this was a good idea, since her body felt a little out of control at Maggie’s innocent touch. 

“Ready?” Maggie asked. While she may not have been able to see Alex’s form, she could feel it. She held back a whimper as she ran her hand over Alex’s clothed abs, even though cloth she could feel the muscles that ran underneath her skin, sharp and defined. She wondered what it would be like to actually feel them under her fingertips or her tongue. 

Alex gulped and nodded. She pulled away to grab the hand that was tracing her stomach and guided them into the water. It was cold at first, but she quickly got used to it. Maggie screamed though and ran back out. 

“Gods… Al. It’s cold.” She whined. 

“Come on, Mags… don’t be a chicken. It’s gets warm pretty quickly.” 

“No.” Maggie said refusing to budge. 

“Come on.” Alex moved closer. She made sure to make lots of noise so she wouldn’t startle the other woman. 

“Don’t you dare.” Maggie said when she realized that Alex was right in front of her. She wished that she could see the playful sparkle that she knew that was in Alex’s eyes right now. She’d bet it was beautiful. 

She was prepared when Alex picked her up, and she pretended to struggle. “Alex Danvers!” She yelled, and then she screamed when Alex dunked her. She came back up, shaking her head and gasping for breath. 

Alex came closer, suddenly worried. “Oh, Did I hurt you?” 

Maggie didn’t say anything. So Alex moved closer. 

“Maggie…” Suddenly it was her turn to find herself being dunked as Maggie jumped on top of her. She surfaced with a laugh and soon an epic water fight and chase began. 

They took turns dunking and splashing each other, until finally Maggie found herself being carried in Alex’s arms and she had her arms wrapped around the taller woman’s neck. They were so close and Maggie seemed to realize it at the same time Alex did. The mood changed then, turning from playful to serious and Maggie licked her lips. 

“Hey Maggie, can I…?” Alex started. 

“Yes.” Maggie breathed and with that their lips met. It was unlike any kiss Alex had ever experienced. It was like standing under a waterfall and having all the water pour down on you at once. It felt exciting and terrifying all at the same time. 

Maggie on her part felt like she was coming home for the first time. Kissing Emily had been wonderful, but this… this was something different... something real. A part of her was scared, but the other part of her knew that Alex would never intentionally hurt her. They parted slowly, and Alex opened her eyes to see that Maggie’s were still closed. 

“I um…” The sound of running footsteps made them turn, and Alex let go of Maggie to step protectively in front of her. She inwardly groaned as she saw Kara, Lena and James running towards them. _Great… just great. ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought about this chapter by leaving a comment below. And if you want to rant or vent about this episode or Supergirl in general, come talk to me on tumblr. I’m still just in shock I think... I can’t believe what this show has become. Thanks for reading.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Reading! :)

“Hold on!” Alex said, as the three neared. “Give us just a second.” 

They nodded and turned around and Alex watched as Maggie made a run back to the picnic spot and dived under the blankets. It wasn’t like she was naked but she wasn’t wearing much and the white wet cloth was see through. When she realized, Alex closed her eyes feeling a bolt of heat flow through her body. 

“Ok, Alex!” Maggie yelled when she was wrapped up in blanket. She held opened another blanket and after a moment she half felt, half saw Alex’s body come closer and she wrapped the blanket around her as well. Alex smiled, and ran her hand down Maggie’s wet cheek, smoothing back her damp hair that was quickly drying in the afternoon heat. 

“Thank you.” Alex said softly. “This was amazing.” 

“It was, and I’m going to kiss you again later, when your sister and the gang don’t seem to be in dire straights to talk to you.” Maggie gently leaned up and kissed Alex’s cheek. Alex blushed and Maggie laughed as she felt the heat against her lips. Alex’s image was a lot clearer now, only her face seemed to be shadowed. 

“Ok, what’s wrong?” Alex asked, motioning for the rest of them to come over. 

Kara came over quickly. “I waited as long as I could. The guards brought in a woman who had beaten pretty badly, She was asking for you, Maggie.” 

“Oh.” Maggie’s face paled. She didn’t wait but ran towards the castle door still wrapped up in the blanket. Sensing that Kara wanted to talk to her sister alone, James helped Lena gather up Maggie’s clothes and the leftover food and headed after her. 

Alex turned to see Kara smiling at her like a crazy person. “What?” Alex said trying to be grumpy but she couldn’t hide the smile that covered her face. 

“You look like you’ve been shot with a love ray. You ok?” Kara said, as Alex picked up her shirt off of the pile. She moved to take off her wet one, but winced as the motion jarred her back. 

“Here, let me help you.” Kara stepped forward and took the shirt from Alex’s hands and helped her removed the wet shirt and then helped her slide the dry one of her head. 

“I’m great. That was a lot of fun.” Alex said shyly. She could still feel Maggie’s lips against hers and against her cheek. “I kissed her.” 

Kara smiled. “How was it?” 

“Perfect, absolutely perfect.” Alex sighed as she finished pulling on her clothes. Kara gave her a big hug. 

“I’m proud of you, and I’m so happy for you. I’m also sorry that I had to interrupt.” 

“It’s ok” Alex said returning the hug. “What happened?” She went from lovestruck to serious in a heartbeat. 

“James and Lena were returning from whatever they had been doing and found a woman at the gate. The guards were just about to call for the healer when they showed up. She had a head wound and looked like she had been beaten. She passed out, but right before she asked for Maggie. The healer got her cleaned up and the wound treated so I felt safe enough to wait until you got the chance to have a proper date.” 

“Thank you, I appreciate that. I think we both needed it. Anyway, let's go, i want to know who she is.” Alex said, as they headed back towards the Castle. 

**———————**

Maggie rushed towards the healer’s quarters, her mind going 100 miles per hour. Her first thought was that it was her mother than had been injured, but then her rational mind reminded her that her mother wouldn’t have left without help. Then she realized that it was probably Emily and her heart beat faster. Of course just as she had decided to finally act on her feelings for Alex, her past would come back to haunt her. 

She entered the room breathing hard and sure enough Emily was laying on the cot, sleeping, a strip of bandage covering the wound on her forehead. The healer motioned her over. 

“She’ll be alright m’lady. The head wound was mostly superficial, and there seems to be no evidence of any permanent damage. We’ll keep an eye on her just the same.” He suddenly realized that she was all wet. “Would you like a change of clothes, m’lady?” 

Maggie still wondered why they all called her by a title that she hadn’t earned, but she was too preoccupied to correct him. She nodded, and just as he stepped towards his wardrobe, the door opened and Lena peeked her head though. 

“Here, Maggie.” She said, holding out her clothes. 

“Thank you.” Maggie grabbed them from her and slipped behind the screen to change. After a few moments, she stepped out. She had wrapped her wet clothes in the blanket and she was holding in her hands. “Where would you like me to put this?” 

Lena grabbed it from her. “I’ll take it, I have a pile of clothing that M’gann and the staff is going to yell at me for anyway. You ok?” She asked. Maggie nodded. 

Lena gave her a small hug and then left her alone. Maggie sat down in the chair next to her friend, and grabbed her hand. 

“She’ll be alright. She just needs to take it easy for the next few months or so. But the baby should be fine as well. There’s no signs that her injuries have caused a miscarriage.” The healer said, tearing up some clean cloths for bandages while they were waiting. 

Maggie felt a cold chill travel down her spine. She turned around to face him. “She’s pregnant? How far along is she?” 

“About a month, m’lady… I can feel it’s life force brush up against my magic.” 

Maggie frowned feeling her anger grow. She wasn’t sure who she was mad at more, Emily or herself. 

The last time they had been together Emily had promised that she hadn’t been with Adam in months and Maggie had been willing because she had believed her. Seeing her with him had been hard enough, but she had told Emily from the start that she wouldn’t make love to her after she had been in his bed. It was just too hard to deal with. Emily had kissed her and had said that she had understood, but now Maggie didn’t know what to believe. It shouldn’t matter but it did, and Maggie sighed and put her head in her hands. 

Soft footsteps came closer. And she felt a hand gently reach out and touch her shoulder. “Alex.” Maggie reached up and grabbed Alex’s hand and kissed it gently. 

“It’s Emily… isnt it?” Alex asked softly. Maggie nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. 

Alex squeezed Maggie’s hand in hers and then gently let go. “Al…” Maggie tried to say, but Alex shook her head. 

“I’ll be back, ok.” Alex said softly. “I have to go talk to the guards. Then I promise that I won’t leave your side.” She knelt down and put a hand on Maggie’s knee. “Trust me.” 

Maggie nodded. If there was one person right now that she knew that she could count on, it was the woman in front of her. Maggie reached forward and kissed her. Alex returned the kiss, feeling the emotional weight behind it. They parted holding on to one another. It felt as if a storm was growing all around them, getting bigger and bigger with each passing moment. The calm and the only shelter seemed to be right here in the other’s arms. 

“I’ll hold you to that Danvers.” Maggie whispered. She could feel Alex’s grin and it made her feel a little better. With one final short kiss, Alex got up and left, leaving Maggie alone with her past, all the while her heart left with her future. 

**———————**

Alex stalked up to James and J’onn who were standing at the gate overlooking the forest. “What happened?” She growled and winced. It just wasn't the same without her Beast. 

“Tell her.” J’onn motioned one of the Guardsman forward. 

“M’lady… she came from nowhere. There is no wagon tracks, animal tracks, or footsteps… it was like she was dropped here by Magic.” 

Alex sniffed the air out of habit, but with her human nose, she could smell nothing but pine and people. She groaned and started pacing. She felt agitated and empty. 

“Dearheart.” J’onn said, dismissing the men, leaving them alone. James put her hand on her shoulder but she struggled him off. 

“I’m alright… I’m just frustrated.” She sighed and stopped walking to lean against the wall. “My Beast is gone… it hasn’t woken up since the poison. It apparently has been appearing to Maggie in her dreams, but I’ve felt nothing but emptiness.” 

J’onn frowned. “I’ve never heard of such a thing…” 

Alex shrugged. “Me neither, and it’s just annoying because all of my life I’ve loathed the creature, but now when I’m finally coming to terms with it, it disappears.” 

“It appeared to Maggie, you said?” James asked quietly. 

“Yes, in her dreams. It’s using the form of me in the black armor, when I was 16. The Castle let her see the painting and Maggie figured out the rest. She said that it’s been trying to warn her of something. She’s filled with dread, when it speaks, but they can’t communicate otherwise.” 

J’onn rubbed his chin, thinking. After a moment of tense silence, Alex changed the subject. “The woman is a friend of Maggie’s from the village. I don’t want to speak ill of someone that Maggie trusts, but this all seems a bit coincidental. My beast trying to warn her of something, then this woman shows up out of nowhere.” She paused and took a breath. “I want a guard on her at all times, for her safety and ours. Understood?” 

“Yes, M’lady!” They both said. 

“Good, now I promised Maggie I would come back. But one last thing… have your men search the forest, make sure we will have no other surprises.” 

“Will do.”James said, and he turned to speak with the unit that was working. J’onn however followed her as she turned to walk back into the Castle. 

“I find it most curious that out of all of us the Beast chose to visit Maggie. How would it know what was coming?” J’onn said. 

“I have the feeling that when the assassin cast the spell he was careless. It’s possible in his conjuring that he may have imprinted his thought on to it at the same time. Or maybe the Beast is privy to some other feeling or notion that I am unable to understand. The fact that it can subconsciously travel and talk to Maggie is mind-blowing too. I haven’t heard of it ever doing that in my family history since we were given the gift.” 

“Have you spoken to your sister about this, Dearheart? She’s your family historian, she may know more about the Beast’s abilities.” 

“No, it’s been hard to talk about it. Maggie only knew because she guessed. She felt that I was cold, and wondered if the Beast was alright.” 

J’onn grabbed her arm and they paused. He grinned at her. “That right there, my friend, speaks volumes in itself.” He kissed her forehead and left her to go back to the Castle, lost in her thoughts as she tried to make sense of what was happening. 

**———————**

Maggie felt Emily stir and she sat up in the chair. Emily let out a small moan and after a second her eyes opened. “What… where am I?” 

Maggie paused, and thought for a second, deciding that it wasn’t her place to out her friend so she continued the lie. “At Lord Alex’s Castle, in the healer’s quarters. You have a nasty bump and wound on your head.” 

“Oh… Maggie.” Emily exclaimed suddenly realizing that her friend was in front of her. She tried to sit up, but Maggie gently pushed her back down. 

“Take it easy.” She said quietly. 

“I was coming to see you. I know that I should have sent a message first, but things have been different since you left. I’ve been lonely. Adam’s been gone and… I missed you.” 

“I missed you too, but can you tell me what happened? How did you get that bump on your head and these bruises… did someone hurt you?” Maggie asked gently. Something didn’t seem right, Emily seemed different somehow, although she wasn’t sure why. 

_Because you’re different Maggie._ A voice in her head said softly. Her eyes widened but she didn’t respond because Emily was talking again. 

“I don’t know… I can’t remember.” She sounded a bit scared and Maggie squeezed her hand to get her to settle down. The healer came over. 

“It’s possible m’lady with a head wound such as this for the memory to leave temporarily.” He whispered softly into her ear. She nodded, and moved away to let him fuss over his patient. 

**Who are you?** She questioned the voice. She was beginning to wonder if she was going mad. 

_You aren’t mad… but I think you know exactly who I am…_ It spoke softly, but she knew there was power behind it. 

**You’re Alex’s beast aren't you?** Maggie said, as it was the only thing that made sense. 

_In a sense, but I am the Guardian Spirit of the Danvers Family. We have been unable to speak until now, because I am bound by the curse. But your presence here has weakened the curse, and with every passing moment your bond with her grows and gives me strength. The kiss that you shared with her allowed the final chains to break, and now I am free. I can be what I once was. I will return to her shortly, but first I must impart one final message._

**About Emily….** Maggie guessed, and it was weird because she literally feel it smiling. 

_Yes, you are very wise, as I knew that you would be. Emily is here to break the stone that is binding the Shield in place… and I am here to ask you not to intervene in that quest._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not really sure how I feel about this chapter, but I hope that you all enjoyed it anyway. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. And as always thank you all for reading! :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this being late! Things have been busy at work lately and my Beta (who is amazing and deserves the world) didn’t have to get to this until last night. Also I’ve really struggled with the chapter, and this is 3rd re-write. But in the process I figured out where I want the next few chapters to go so it wasn’t all bad. Happy Reading :) 
> 
> PS: Just a reminder _italics is when the Beast is talking_ and **bold is when Alex or Maggie is talking**. This chapter starts immediately from where the last one ended.

**What is it that you are asking of me? To stand aside while I watch my friends suffer? What kind of Guardian are you?**

She heard the Beast sigh. _A failed one…. I couldn’t stop Jeremiah’s death, but I can prevent something worse from happening to his Daughter. She is the last of her house, so is Kara. I’ve been commanded to protect them at all costs. I’ve only been privy to a part of the Order’s plan, because of an oversight on the assassin’s part. But my vision can see no further than now. We have to pretend in order to find out more._

_Emily doesn’t realize that you don’t trust her, you are the only one who she may confined in. I’m asking you to let things happen for now, in hopes that we can use what we know to understand the big picture._

Maggie sighed. **Alright. I trust you.**

_Thank you, I know how hard it is for you to give that, and I promise that I won’t take advantage._

Maggie’s thoughts went to Alex telling her something similar when they talked about their betrothal, before she knew who exactly Alex was. She wondered if the Beast was influencing part of Alex’s personality or if Alex rubbed off on the Beast. 

_To answer your question, that was all Alex. I can only guide and advise, but I am her as much as she is me. If that makes sense._

**Yes. Now will you please go back to her… I don’t think you quite understand the flux you put her into by disappearing.**

_We are lucky to have you watching our back, Maggie Sawyer. I will talk to you again. Be well._

Maggie let out a breath as she felt it leave. She rubbed a spot just above her heart, feeling a weird sense of loss. If that was the way she was feeling after only minutes, than Alex must have been in agony. 

“M’lady.” The healer said, making her jump. “Apologies, but your friend is asleep. I gave her a potion to allow her to rest for a while. You can sit with her if you like.” 

Maggie nodded and sat back down in the chair to wait and see what would happen next. She wondered if Alex was coming back soon, the room felt so cold without her. 

**———————**

Alex ran through the Castle, and stopped short just outside her room. She felt cold and wet even under her cloak, so she decided to stop and change her clothes. She winced as she pulled off her shirt although she had an easier time since it was only damp and not soaked. She pulled on her shirt, feeling annoyed. 

“I wish you would come back you fool. I’m beginning to think that I’m going to be stuck without you. I hope you are alright.” Alex said, angry with the beast. If only it was back then her injuries would be healed and maybe she would feel whole again. 

_Easy, my friend. I am well._ The Beast said, in her mind. Alex froze feeling warmth in a spot that was so so cold for many days now. 

**But how?** Alex fell back against the wall, relief making her limbs shake. **How can you talk? And where the hell were you?**

_With Maggie. Her part in all of this is about to begin. But let me introduce myself officially. I’m the Guardian Spirit of the Danvers Family. But you may call me Beast. As for talking, the curse bound me preventing me from being free. But my bonds are broken, because of your relationship with Maggie. Now we are free to be what we were meant to be._

Alex could feel Beast smiling inside of her and she smiled in reflex. **I really missed you. I thought you were never coming back. The irony of the fact is that I spent the last four years disliking your presence, now here we are.**

_I’m sorry that I threw you into a flex with my leaving. I had to leave to warn Maggie and to recover my wounds. In the state I was in, I was going to kill you if I stayed. I refuse to be responsible for your death, I still carry Jeremiah’s blood on my hands. I couldn’t save him, and I am sorry for that._ Beast said sadly. Alex frowned. **It’s not your fault, it’s the Order and that witch’s fault. My dad wouldn’t have blamed you and I don’t either. I’m just glad that you are ok.**

_You are too kind my friend. But we need to talk you and I, about Maggie and your future._

Alex gulped. **Is she alright?**

_She is._ Beast shifted slightly allowing her to feel the bond between her and the new friend, to show Alex for herself that Maggie was alright. _She is fine. But she has a part to play in this. Emily is here to break the stone holding the shield in place and with it make us vulnerable to attack. The only person she trusts is Maggie and I have asked Maggie to play that up to find out her plan. I wanted you to hear it from me so that there will be no doubt that Maggie’s heart lies with you._

Alex growled softly under her breath, the weight of the Beast behind it now feeling bittersweet. **How can you ask that of her?! You know how she felt, how she still may feel for the woman. I would rather Emily follow through with her mission than for us to use Maggie like that. _Alex, if Maggie is the one to break the curse she must be faced with the choice, between her past and the future, you know that. To learn how to see you is only one part of the curse, but she has to choose you too._ **

**Alex sighed. **It’s just… never mind.** She wasn’t quite sure how to express what she was feeling, but Beast already knew. **

**Beast purred softly at her, soothingly. _I know little one, but feel that… Beast opened up the bond again. She’s in a room with Emily and all she can think about it is you. She misses you, surely you can feel that._ **

**Alex could and she felt a spark of joy in her heart that she tried so hard not to have faith in. She wanted to believe more than anything but at this moment, she felt so tired and she just wanted for the curse to end.**

**She finished getting dressed and she walked quietly through the halls this time wondering how just a few hours ago she had felt like she was flying, and now she felt nothing but despair. Something felt different, felt off… but she couldn’t figure out what.**

****———————** **

**  
**

J’onn found Kara in the library, just like he had predicted. She was putting away a few volumes up on a high shelf. “Be well, little bean.” He said, not wanting to startle her. 

“Hey, Papa Bear…. Don’t mind the dust. I need to clean in her more often.” She said, stepping down from the ladder. “What brings you here, I thought Alex had all of the Royal Guards checking the wall?” 

“Alex mentioned something a few minutes ago, and I wanted to ask you a question about it, do you mind?” He motioned towards the table that Kara used as desk. 

“Of course not!” She motioned for him to take a seat, and then she sat across from him and grabbed a clean sheet of parchment. “What’s wrong?” 

“Alex mentioned that her Beast hasn’t woken up since the forest. In all of my years working for your father, and the Danvers family… I’ve never heard of such a thing?” 

Kara looked up from her paper. “I’ve never heard of such a thing either, in any of the family history. I’ve read through every volume and every tome that deals with the Danvers family history and the history of the kingdom and no one, either Danvers born or historian has ever mentioned that the Beast could be silenced. But I can look into it further.” 

“Please… you know she doesn’t want to make a fuss, but I feel this is important. Can you please look up everything pertaining to the Danvers family gift and then report back to me and only me? Ever since the forest there is something bothering me… and it gets right to the tip of my tongue and then I forget again. It’s driving me mad.” 

Kara put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry. We will figure it out together ok?” 

He nodded and smiled at her. “Thank you, Kara. I’ll leave you to it then.” Then without another word he got up and left the room. 

When he was gone, Kara took a deep breath. She looked at all of the books around her and sighed, this was going to be a big project. She felt a sense of urgency at J’onn’s words and she bit her lip, hoping that she would be able to find the answer before the situation became worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. And if you are caught up with the story and want something else to read, I’ve been doing a one-shot series where I’ve been posting two mini-stories per day about Sanvers. So please check that out too if you want! As always Thanks for Reading!:)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said that I was going to post this before I went on break, but after a conversation with my Beta... we decided that there needed to be another chapter (aka this chapter) before my original chapter 18. So sorry about the delay. Happy Reading! :)

Maggie looked up as the door opened and Alex walked in. Maggie’s face brighten and Alex gave her a soft smile as she moved to sit next to her. 

“How is she?” Alex asked softly. 

“She’ll be alright in a few days. The most serious injury was her head wound, but the healer wants her to rest. She’s pregnant.” Maggie said sadly. 

Alex reached out and felt what the healer felt as well, the baby’s life force strong and healthy. “The baby seems to be well.” 

Maggie shook her head. “I just can’t believe she would lie to me.” 

“How so?” Alex asked, taking her hand. 

“I…” Maggie paused to gather her thoughts. “I had a condition to our relationship. I made her promise me that she wouldn’t sleep with me when she had been with him. Adam was away on business a lot, so Emily said it was a reasonable request. The last time we were together, she told me it had been months. But if she’s pregnant that means that she must have been with him the same time that she had been with me.” 

Alex grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry.” 

Maggie sighed. “It’s doesn't matter now. It just kind of hurts that she lied you know.” 

Alex nodded, remembering Max and his lies. “It does hurt, sometimes more than anything else.” She said softly. 

They sat in silence for a long while, comfortable with each other. Maggie shifted closer until she was resting her head against Alex’s chest. She smiled when she felt the rumble and heard the echo of Beast’s growl when she exhaled. “Alex… your beast is back!” 

“Yes.” Alex grinned and let out a very low growl. Maggie smiled. “Beast said that they talked to you.” 

“They did, so you know the plan.” Maggie said, her eyes shifting to Emily’s sleeping form on the cot in front of them. 

“I do… I’m sorry that Beast asked that of you. It is unfair. If you are uncomfortable with it, we can find another way.” Alex said, moving her hand up to cup Maggie’s cheek. 

“There isn’t another way.” Maggie leaned into Alex’s touch. “And I’m alright, honest. What happened with Emily is a part of my past… and that part of my life is over. I’m here now, here with you and I look forward to our future. If I am be so bold.” She gave Alex a quiet smile. 

Alex grinned. “You may… may I?” She leaned closer, and Maggie’s eyes gave her consent as they leaned closer to kiss. They kissed softly and slowly for a long while, before they parted and Maggie rested against Alex’s chest. Alex ran her fingers though Maggie’s hair amazed that she was able to touch her like this. 

Soon after that, Emily stirred. She moaned softly as she woke, and Maggie went over to her, motioning for Alex to stay quiet. 

“It’s alright, Em… you’re safe.” Maggie said, grabbing her hand. 

“Maggie.” Emily said, opening her eyes and she winced in the light of the room. 

“I’m here. Just relax.” 

“My head… I was… am injured.” Emily said, motioned towards the bandage. 

“Yes, I’m glad you remember. Do you know who hurt you?” Maggie asked. 

“No… I remember leaving my house, then they next thing I know I am here with you.” Emily sat up slowly. “Where am I?” 

“Lord Alex’s Castle, in the woods.” Maggie said. “It is a safe place.” Emily frowned. There was something that she was supposed to tell Maggie, but everything felt fuzzy. 

“This Castle… there is something here. I’m heard rumors about this place. They said that King Danvers died here and that some cursed spirit haunts this Castle and these woods. How can your Lord and his servants stay in such an accursed place, and to bring you here?” Emily said disdain dripping in her voice. 

Behind her Maggie heard Alex growl slightly and she waved her hand behind her back to silence her. 

“This Castle and it’s Master are the best thing that happened to me in this life, Em. The Lord treats me well, and everyone who I have met here has responded with more than just kindness. I have found true friends. Whatever rumors you have heard are just that, and if you were truly my friend you will never speak of them to me again!” 

“I think you are a fool, Mags, but I will not say another word. Perhaps if I meet this Lord, maybe I will change my mind.” Emily said. Alex went to stand up and to step forward, but Maggie waved once again and Alex froze. 

“I will ask him and see what he says. Now I must take my leave, I have other business to attend too. I will be back to see you shortly.” Maggie turned around and turned to go, but Emily grabbed her hand. 

“I’m sorry if I offended you Maggie. I know that none of this was your choice. I just don’t want to see you hurt… I do still care about you though. Very much.” She brought Maggie’s hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it. 

“It isn’t that easy anymore, Emily… it never was actually. We just fooled ourselves into thinking that it was.” Maggie said, before gently removing Emily’s fingers from her wrist. Without another word, she moved out of the room, and Alex followed her quietly.   
  


Alex put her hand on Maggie’s shoulder, but Maggie shrugged it away. 

“Don’t Alex.” Maggie said. “I’m alright. I can’t think straight when you touch me.” She admitted honestly before Alex could assume the worst. “We need a plan.” 

“What for?” Alex said, putting her hand down by her side. 

“If Emily is here to break the stone, then we need to figure out how she is going to do that…. do you know how to break it?” 

“No… it’s actually an ancient spell that Kara wove into her counter spell. All I know is that when the land or the forest feels threatened by forces that would harm it, it raises Guardians to protect it. Like the troll, or the Centaur Clans who only show themselves outside of the deep woods where there is a great threat.” 

“Your blood is connected to it, correct? You said that if the guardian had been able to sense your blood, your magic it wouldn’t have attacked. Instead it viewed you as the enemy. Is there someone living or something documented that would tell us why that is?” 

Alex thought for a moment. “My sister took over for the Castle Historian when he retired. If there is something documented in the library she would know it. But I think our best bet might be my father’s office. When Kara came, he suddenly became very interested in our history. He kept detailed notes and diaries locked away.” 

Maggie held out her hand for Alex to take, sensing that she needed the comfort. Alex did, giving her a grateful look as she continued.“I asked him once what he was looking for, but he never did tell me. He died soon after that.” 

“I think that your Dad’s records would be the best bet. Where is his office?” 

“In the throne room. There is a hidden door behind the throne. But I…” Alex grew silent. 

“You what?” Maggie asked softly. She rubbed her thumb over the back of Alex’s hand. 

“I haven’t been there since he died. I know that M’gann tidies up the place, but I haven’t touched it since that morning before…” Alex took a deep breath. Maggie put a hand on her back, feeling how clammy Alex’s skin was all of a sudden. 

“Al, you don’t have to come if you don’t want too. I can go find it by myself.” 

“I want too, I need to do this. It's been four years Maggie… it’s time I found my nerve to deal with this. I just… I miss him.” 

Maggie brought Alex’s hand up too her lips and kissed the back of it. “It’s ok to.” She paused and pulled Alex close giving her a side hug. “I’ll be right here, by your side for as long as you need me.” 

Alex leaned over and kissed Maggie’s cheek. “Thank you… that really means a lot to me.” She said. Then Alex took a deep breath, and together they walked hand in hand towards the throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below! I’m really excited for you all to read the next few chapters because things are going to be getting more exciting as we are starting to get deeper into the mystery of what the Order of Cadmus is after with both Alex and Kara, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading! :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and James spot smoke coming from the forest. Suspecting that it has something to do with Emily’s sudden appearance they decide to investigate. However before they can get very far, they encounter new Guardians and allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first of I think four chapters that will focus on Kara, James and Lena and their role in our tale. These chapters are Sanvers lite, but I think that they help explain why the Order is after Kara and the role that she plays in the Danvers family line. I hope you enjoy. Happy reading!

Lena looked down at the forest from on top of the wall. The land was beautiful, and it was a view that she could spend forever staring at. The green called to her and she closed her eyes, letting the smell of the earth and the sounds of the land enter her mind. Something felt off, but she couldn’t figure out what. She jumped and opened her eyes, when James touched her shoulder. 

“Sorry.” He said, realizing that he had startled her. “But look, do you see that?” He pointed to just south of the gate, where a wisp of smoke floated up from between the trees for just a second and disappeared. 

“Yes… it’s a signal.” Lena said. James moved to go get the guards. “No, James… wait.” She grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving. “Too many people will attract unwanted attention. Just the two of us.” 

“Ok, let me talk with J’onn first. Can you keep an eye on it for a second?” 

She nodded, giving him a small smile. “Of course.” 

Nodding in thanks, he jumped down from her perch and ran towards his office, trying to find a runner. About ten minutes later, he came running back up to her. 

“Any changes?” 

“None. They are sending the smoke, but I can’t figure out what they are saying. They are using some code or language that I do not know… what did J’onn say?” 

“To approach with caution and to look only, we are only to resort to violence if our lives depend on it.” James said, his voice serious. Lena rolled her eyes, but she understood. 

“I understand. Now let’s go.” She said, putting her arm around his waist. He let out an undignified squawk as she used her magic to carry him and herself down from the wall into the forest below. 

“Wait, don’t we need a horse… it’s a long walk from here to that spot?” He asked, once they were safely on the the ground and he had time to catch his breath. Lena smiled a bit evilly, making him nervous. “I have a better idea.” She let out a shrill whistle, making him jump. A few minutes later, the bushes to their right rattled and shook. James drew his sword, but gently Lena placed her hand over his and pointed it towards the ground. “Easy… put your sword away. They mean us no harm.” 

As he watched, two centaurs came rushing out of the forest at them. They were strong, and James’s eyebrows raised high when he saw that they were not only centaurs but two female centaurs at that. His respect for his girlfriend’s lover jumped and he found himself bowing slightly as they came forward. 

Lena’s eyes grew bright, and she raced over to the leader. The horse part of her was a dark brown chestnut , and the human part of her had long flowing black hair that was tied back into a bun, and dark brown eyes that seemed to look deep within in you in a piercing gaze. Two swords were strapped to her strong back, and a golden breastplate covered her heart. In a smooth motion, she removed one of the swords and held it flat to her chest in a salute. 

“Well met, Lena.” She said, in a lightly accented English. “My sister and I have heard your call and have come to aid you in your quest. My sword is yours dear one.” 

“Thank you, Athena.” Lena said, giving her a soft smile. Then the other centaur stepped forward, her tail flickering over her back impatiently. She seemed quite a bit younger than the other Centaur, but just as strong. Lena turned to greet her. 

“Your leg seems to be healing well, Artemis. It is good to see you on your feet again.” 

“Thank you, Lena. I am forever in your debt.” She too raised her sword in a salute. She noticed James, and turned to stare at him. “Who is that?” 

“A friend. We need your help.” She said, motioning for James to stay quiet. James did, too in awe to even figure out what to say. 

“What can you do for you Lena?” Athena asked. 

“There is something off about these wood, surely you can feel it…. Can’t you?” 

“Yes, Evil lurks here… Dark magic has breached the shield.” Artemis whispered her eyes closed. James felt a flow of life magic around him and he held his breath. 

“There is smoke coming from deep within the wood. We need your help in getting there.” Lena asked. 

Athena nodded and turned to her sister who had yet to open her eyes. They shared a whispered conversation in a language that neither of them understood, then she turned to look at James. 

“I will bear you, good sir knight, but be warned we will travel swiftly and our journey will not be for the faint of heart. There is Evil awaiting us.” 

“I am ready, my lady.” James said, confidently. He stood tall and proud. 

“As for you, Lena, your quest lies with me. Even now, young Zor-El is looking for something that very few know and she has no idea what she is up against. She will have a need for your magic and mine.” Artemis said softly. Lena felt her heart clench when she thought of Kara facing the unknown alone. She felt James’s hand on her back and she leaned into his touch. They may not be the best of friends, but it was their lover that was in danger. 

“Take care of her?” James asked softly. 

“I will… take care of yourself James. Kara needs us both.” Lena said gripping his hand. 

“I will, but only if you promise to do the same.” He answered, knowing of her ability to get into trouble. 

Lena grinned at him. “I will try.” Her eyes grew bright for a moment as she remembered something. She reached into her pocket. 

“Here.” She said, giving him the object. It was a shiny bit of stone, and he felt the power inside of it pulse in his hands. 

“What is it?” James asked, putting it into his pocket. 

“A Wishing Stone. Make a wish and it will allow to see that wish in it’s reflection on its surface. Just wish to see Kara or anyone here at the Castle and you can check on us at anytime.” 

“Thank you.” He gave her a hug much to her surprise. Then he turned and greeted Athena. “I am ready.” 

The Centaur knelt and allowed him to get on to her back, and without another word they were off.   
  


Lena watched until they disappeared into the trees. She felt Artemis’s hand touch her shoulder lightly. “Don’t worry, my friend. They will be alright.” 

“I hope so.” Lena whispered. “For Kara’s sake.” Even though she knew that was a lie. 

Artemis shook her head at her friend, but she held her tongue. “Are you ready?” 

“I am.” 

“Then take me to the Castle. I believe it’s time I met young Kara Zor-El.” Artemis said. And with a wave of Lena’s hand they disappeared, leaving only the wind as witness that they were ever there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So let me know what you think by leaving a comment below... I’m nervous excited about posting this chapter and it’s been driving crazy for a week now wondering what you all think about the Centaurs! Anyway, Thanks for reading and I will see you all next week for the next chapter. :)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So A little life update for you.. I’m still in the process of moving, so this is the only chapter I’m going to be able to post this week. Everything should be back to normal on Sunday. I’m really excited because I will finally have my own space and be able to write more consistently. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Happy Reading!

Kara rubbed her neck in frustration and resisted the urge to throw the book across the room. She would swear by all of the gods that something was going on, but she was powerless to figure out what. Something was fighting her, she was sure of it. As a young girl who has just arrived here, the Library had been her Sanctuary. She had spend hours in her here thumbing through the leather bound pages, trying to learn everything she could about her new family and her new land. 

Reading had helped her forget the fire and her parents screams, and she had found comfort in the old tales of the Danvers family deeds. Looking back into those memories she knew that there was a book, a black leather tome with blood red letters that spoke of the Danvers Family “gift” and the story of where it came from. 

She remembered that Jeremiah had caught her reading it as she tried to figure out what language the words were written. He had frowned at it when he saw it. He had picked it up and read a page before he quickly dropped it on the table. He told Kara to forget about that book, and had taken it and placed it somewhere else. 

Kara had thought that he would have kept it here, but hidden it on one of the higher shelves, one where she could not reach. Now she couldn’t find it though, and after hours of searching she was beginning to think that Jeremiah had hidden it somewhere else. So she expanded her search and tried to find anything that reference the Danvers Family and their gift of lycanthropy, but where there had been so many for her to read as a child, she could find none now. 

Grunting in frustration and feeling the need for urgency press on her more and more she put her head down on the table and wanted for a miracle. She jumped when the door opened and Lena walked in followed by a Centaur, and a female one at that. 

Centaurs were magical creatures and while magic ran in both sexes, female centaurs were considered the Elders or Sages of their tribes. Their gifts were powerful and Kara had always dreamed of meeting one. She felt the Magic even from across the room, and it ran through her and got inside her blood. She felt her own gift responding and she felt amazing and terrified all at the same time. 

Lena came over and kissed Kara lightly on the lips, before turning and introducing her friend. “Kara, this is Artemis, Elder of the Forest Clan. Artemis, may I present Kara of the House Zor-El.” 

“It is an honor to meet one of such an esteemed house.” Artemis said, raising a fist to her chest and bowing. 

“As it is for me, Elder.” Kara returned the salute. “What brings you to our Castle?” 

“Your quest. You seek the knowledge of the Danvers gift, do you not?” 

“I do. I know that the gift was given by the Gods to the Danvers family, and that they once upon a time had the power to go full wolf, but as the bloodline has lessened so has the power. Now Alex is the last, and she has expressed that it has not yet awoken from poisoned sleep. I’m a searching for any answer that may help her. J’onn fears it is connected to the Order.” 

“He is right… there is a secret only few know and with good reason. It is dark and bloody, and it may change everything. Are you prepared to face the consequences of your search?” 

“How do you know this?” 

“Because I’m a Guardian Kara…. just like the Troll that had arisen earlier, it is my job to protect this Castle and the Lady that keeps it. I was there when the gift was given and I will be there when the house of Danvers falls, and the wolf breaths it’s last.” Artemis snapped. 

Kara flinched at the idea of the house of Danvers falling. She would do anything to prevent that from happening, even at the cost of her own life. 

“I ask you again, Mage. Are you prepared to face the consequence of your search?” 

“I am.” Kara said, without any hesitation. 

She felt Artemis’ eyes look her over, the piercing gaze looking directly into her soul. “Good.” The Centaur waved her hand and suddenly she was standing before them looking as human as they were. 

“By the Gods.” Kara said, backing away. 

“Don’t worry. It’s a simple glimmer spell. This will allow me to enter places that my normal body wouldn’t otherwise allow.” Artemis said, adjusting the lower half of her armor over her human legs. 

“Warn a girl next time would you?” Lena said. “You know that freaks me out when you do that!” 

“Sorry.” Artemis apologized, but to Kara she didn’t sound the least bit sorry. Kara grinned, it took a special kind of person to freak out her girlfriend so she had a feeling that she was in for a treat. 

“Now the answers lay locked away in the Danvers family crypt, but first we need…” She paused and looked around the room. “The key.” 

Kara’s eyes widened. “The book!” 

“You have seen it?!” Artemis said. “Do you know where it is?” 

“No. I found it when I first came here. Jeremiah took it from me. I thought he had hidden it here and I’ve been looking for it. I used my magic to search and I’m pretty sure it is not here.” Kara said sadly. 

“Alex might be the only one who know where to find it.” Lena said. 

Artemis frowned. “Then we must speak to her at once. Where is she?” 

Kara closed her eyes and focused on her link with Alex. “She’s in the throne room. This way.” She pointed towards the door. Lena opened it and allowed the others to pass through before closing it, behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let Me know what you think by leaving a comment. The next chapter we will figure out what is happening with James and who is behind the signal fire deep in the woods. Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m posting this while my Beta is at work, so any and all mistakes are my own. I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Happy Reading!

James held on tight as Athena swept through the trees with a speed that would be dangerous for normal horses. He winced wondering if that was offense after all was she more human that horse or a balanced hybrid of both. 

“Easy there, human. If you think any harder you are going to break your brain.” Athena said, laughing. 

“Wait, can you read minds?” James said, stunned. 

“No, I could smell smoke…” She teased. “But to answer your question seriously, no… I can only read impressions. You are broadcasting confusion and based upon the way that you started holding me tighter, when we turned that corner back there and the fact that you’ve been starting at my hooves for a while now… I figured it had to do with me.” 

“I’m sorry. I’ve never met a Centaur before.” James apologized sincerely. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around the fact that you are real and not some myth that my mother told me.” 

“We are both real and myth… it’s been a long time since we had the need to leave our mountain. But the forest and the land have called and we are duty bound to answer.” Athena replied. 

James thought about that for a second. “I don’t understand. When King Danvers was attacked and passed, and young Alex was cursed, the land did not revolt. So why now? What has changed?” 

“Everything, Master Knight...Everything has changed.” Athena sighed, sounding sad. “King Danvers‘ death did not go unmarked or unchallenged. We would have given everything to avenge him, but we were rendered powerless.” 

“The curse affected you too.” James realized. 

“Indeed, and now the curse is breaking. Surely you can feel it, the land is coming back to life. Young Zor-El has kept us all safe and given us time to regain our strength and now we will fight!” Athena said. 

“But this all seems to be happening so fast…” 

“Actually it has been thousands of years in the making, and this fight has been going on for centuries just with different players. If you study the Danvers family or even the Zor-El family lines you will see that they are interconnected together, and that evil has always hunted them.” 

James wanted to ask why, but before he could, Athena slowed to a stop and drew her sword. “Stay quiet!” James realized that they were at the spot where they had seen the smoke earlier. 

James bit his lip and waited. The forest sounds became louder and he actively listen for something strange. A part of him wished that Lena was with them. He tried to tell himself that it was because a forest mage would be a blessing to have right now, but truth was the woman had grown on him. He knew that chances were that they would never be more than friends, but he actually found himself liking her, and considered himself grateful to have her in his life. 

A branch broke to their right, and Athena swung her body with ease to face whatever it was that was heading right for them. James gripped his sword in his palm and drew it out of the sheath and waited for the being to come closer. A man dressed in black seeming rose out of the darkness of a shadow, and raised a hand filled with fire. He threw it and James felt his heart jump into his throat as it came right towards them. 

With a flick of her free hand, Athena batted the fireball away as if were a fly and then raised a spell of her own. She cast it at him and he froze, paralyzed in place. She sniffed the air around them. 

“He’s just a scout. He has no real magic, only given the knowledge of how to cast a fireball.” She motioned for James to get off of her back. James jumped down and landed on his feet with a thud. Then he did a double take as one minute the being in front of him was full Centaur the next in her place was a fully human woman. 

“Holy gods above.” He whispered. Athena laughed. 

“Easy there, my friend. It’s just a spell.” She gave him a smile, then turned towards the man. She released the spell and he fell at her feet. 

“Why are you in the forest and what is the order’s plan?” She asked, grabbing him by the collar of his robe and holding him to her full height. “Speak and your judgement will be swift.” 

“Please don’t hurt me… I have a family.” The man begged. 

“Tell me the truth and I will see if I can be merciful.” Athena said. 

“The Order is gathering an army on the edge of the wood. There are a few of us who owed the Lady a debt and she pressed us into service. We are suppose to test the shield every few hours to see if the deed has been done yet. After that we are to signal if it is safe for the army to take the Castle.” 

“What do you mean the deed… what are you talking about?” James asked, stepping closer. 

“I don’t know…. we don't know what the plan was to break the shield, just to see if it was broken. Please let me go!” The man begged. 

Athena looked him in the eye and studied him for a moment before dropping him. “Get out of here… I will show you mercy since you have been truthful. Your life is in the Gods hands now...may they be merciful as well.” 

The man got to his feet and bowed deep before running off into the forest. Athena sighed and rubbed her forehead with her free hand. 

“What is it?” James asked, moving to touch her shoulder. “You seem troubled.” 

“He was telling the truth, but something doesn't feel right. There is stronger magic working here than I expected.” Athena paused for a second the continued. “If they are testing the shield then that means that there is someone on the inside that is going to try and break it.” 

James suddenly remembered. “Emily…” 

Athena looked over at him. “Who is Emily?” 

“Maggie Sawyer’s friend from the village. We found her bleeding in front of the Castle gate just a few hours ago. She was badly beaten, but we found no tracks of how she got there. It was like she was dropped off by magic.” Suddenly Athena grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. 

“Did you say Sawyer?” 

“Yes… but…” His voice faded away as he focused his eyes on hers. 

Athena gripped his shoulders harder for a second, then let him go. “We must go back! Quickly!” She dropped the spell that made her look like a human and gently grabbed him and swung him onto her back. 

“But wait… what is going on?” He yelled, hanging on for dear life as she galloped faster than she had before. 

“The prophecy! The board has been set and the game is afoot, but I fear that some may not know what part they play. Sawyer is the savior, the knight, set off to rescue fair maiden, but there are traps around every corner, and only one way to break free.” 

James shook his head, suddenly feeling exhausted. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with riddles or double talk. “I don’t understand what you are trying to tell me…. We all knew that Maggie was the key to breaking Alex’s curse. Even she is beginning to realize it.” 

“No this is bigger than the curse… this is about the Danvers legacy and the their true gods given purpose. It’s about the Land, and how a Savior, a Queen, and a Mage all hold the keys to setting us all free. The curse delayed the inevitable and bought the other side time but now we are all fighting for something bigger.” 

“What could be bigger than the curse?” James asked, suddenly afraid of the answer. 

“The keys to the heavens themselves… along with the power of life and death. Come no more questions. We must go!” Athena said, as they raced through the trees back to the Castle. 

They turned a corner, as Athena had decided to take a different and clearer path through the woods, enabling them to go faster, but then stopped suddenly. She grabbed her head and screamed loudly, rearing up and knocking James off of her back. 

“What’s wrong!?” He asked, getting up, ignoring the blood that was pouring down his face from a wound in his forehead. 

“She’s here… run!” Athena yelled, grabbing her sword, but she seemed different… weaker… like something was draining the life force from her. 

“But…” James protested. 

“No, run James…. tell my sister about Sawyer and protect them. They will need you before the end.” She said, giving him a soft look as she raised her sword. “Now Go!” 

He raised his sword to her and took off into the brush. Athena watched him go, feeling her body grow tired as she fought off the spell that was draining her magic away from her. She turned tiredly as Lillian Luthor stepped out of the brush and laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter before we get back to Sanvers, and thanks for sticking with me... I hope that you will continue to stay with me on this story as we are just now getting into the action. Exciting times are ahead as we dig deeper into the curse, the order and the truth about the Danvers’ gift and the part the both Kara and Maggie play in their role to save the world as we know it. :)   
> Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, and as always, Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Maggie head for her father’s office and Alex recalls what happened the day that she was cursed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So This chapter picks up with Alex and Maggie and it does contain a flashback that contains a murder and violence so please be warned.

Maggie watched silently as Alex paced back and forth in front of the large ornate oak doors that made up the entrance to the throne room. They had been waiting here for a good while and Alex looked more and more freaked out with every passing moment. She kept growling and muttering to herself. After a while she would try to touch the handle, but then she would back away as if they were a snake or something. It broke Maggie’s heart to see her with so much doubt. 

Finally she couldn’t ignore Alex’s panic any longer and she jumped in Alex’s path and gently touched her shoulders. “Alex, it’s alright if you can’t do it. Why don’t you let me go in there? I’ll just grab every book or paper I see and bring them to you.” 

Alex’s shoulders slumped a little and her eyes were close to tears. “You can’t, it’s a magic door. Only a Danvers can open the door, which is kind of stupid now that I think about it.” She shook her head and sighed. “It’s ok… I can do it.” 

Maggie watched as Alex took a deep breath, and gave her a sad smile, before walking over to the door once more. Alex touched the handle and Maggie could see that her hand was shaking. But this Alex didn’t flinch away, and with a quick jerk of her strong arm pulled the door open. 

Maggie went up to her and put a hand on her back encouraging her to go inside, but she didn’t push. Alex took a tiny step forward and then stopped at the threshold. Her voice was quiet and her eyes were lost in memory as she spoke. 

“My dad was there, on the throne. My mother sat beside him there.” She pointed to where a smaller throne was sitting next to the larger one. “We were standing a few feet away watching, like we were suppose to. Dad always wanted me to observe so I would know what to do when the time came, and Kara was just so curious about everything, like usual.” Alex paused and took a breath smiling as she remembered her sister’s excitement. 

“The Guards let the people in, and my father held court like usual. We all listened as the people brought forth their concerns and their troubles, but they also brought forth their praise and their joy. My Father was well loved, and he enjoyed spending time with the people. Unlike my grandfather, who usually hid away behind these walls, my father was always outside helping the people do things. He built the church in the village and helped pave the road towards the city, and so many other things.” Alex’s voice shook. 

“He was a good man, which is why what happened next was so unexpected… A woman stepped forward, wearing a black robe. She had long dark hair that was tied with ribbon and she had a bearing about her that one usually saw among the nobility, although it was obvious that she was trying to hide it. My Father called her to approach the throne, and she stepped forward, with a grin. She greeted my father, and my mother, then she turned to us. She named Kara by her house and grinned again, saying that she looked well. There was just something about her tone that set us all on edge. _‘What do you want with her? She is just a child.’_ My father demanded.” 

“The woman looked directly at my father and laughed. _‘You do not know the power that you hold, My Lord… of what you could be if you would just reach out your hand and take it? You hold two of the pieces, all you have to do is find the one and the heavens would be in your reach.’_ My father just laughed at her. 

_“‘You speak of riddles and you know not of what you speak… you know nothing and you shall be given nothing. Be gone with you old woman, trouble my door and my family no further.’_ My father waved his hand and the guards moved to take her, but before they could move, she cast a spell over the room. Then she threw a bolt of lightning right into my father’s chest. He collapsed, and I could hear the sound of my mother screaming and the horrible smell of burnt flesh and blood.” 

“Then the witch turned to my sister and started screaming words in a different tongue that none of us knew. The air changed and I could feel my hair stand on end. To this day I don’t know why I could move when everyone else seemed frozen, but just she opened her hand to throw the spell at my sister, I was able to jump in the way and I took the spell for her.” Alex paused and took a breath. 

“The witch was taken aback by that, and she screamed something else that I didn’t hear or understand, then with a snap of her fingers she was gone out of the room. And the world faded for a minute as I fell to the floor. I came too a moment later to find Kara holding me… My father was nearby. I could hear the death rattle in his chest and knew that I had been too late to save him. I crawled over to hold his hand, and I felt his spirit depart this world as he breathed his last. I will never know if he could see or feel me, but I hope that he knew that I was with him in the end.” Alex felt a hand touch her face as Maggie wiped away her tears. 

“I’m sure he knew, Alex…” Maggie said, hugging her. She felt Alex melt into her chest as sobs wracked the other woman’s frame. She let Alex cry until there were no more tears left, and then she pulled back to look at her. “Your dad knew that you loved him Alex and he would have been proud of you for protecting Kara.” 

“You really think so?” Alex asked shyly. 

“I know so… because I’m proud of you. You are so brave.” Maggie said softly. “And I really want to kiss you, but I still can’t see your face, so you’re going to have to help me.” 

Alex laughed, which was exactly what Maggie was going for, then she felt Alex’s hands rest gently on her cheeks and they guided her until their lips met. This kiss was just as magical as their first and Maggie felt their connection grow just a little bit deeper, as she pulled back. 

Alex blinked for a moment until the haze that always felt when she was kissing Maggie lifted and her mind was clear. The beast rumbled unhappily in her chest and she knew that together they wanted nothing more than to just spend hours kissing Maggie, and spending hours exploring her soft skin and those perfect dimples. 

Maggie chuckled. “Down girl… there will be more time for that later, after we find out more about our mission and we aren’t distracted.” She poked the red wolf on Alex’s chest and felt her girlfriend shiver. Then she reached down and grabbed her hand, the mood turning serious as she asked. 

“Do you think that you can go in now, or do you still need more time?” 

Alex sighed. “I just can’t help but picture the blood and the smell when I go in.” 

“Can you use your magic or your beastly powers to think of something else?” Maggie suggested. 

Alex smiled. “Yes… that gives me an idea.” She shifted slightly and leaned closer to Maggie, sniffing her shoulder. Finding a scent that was uniquely Maggie but also held hints the familiar smells of cedar wood, ash and metal. It relaxed her instantly, and she sighed in contentment this time instead of nerves. 

Maggie giggled, the heat of Alex’s breath on her skin tickling her, and felt the heat rush to her cheeks when she realized what Alex was doing. But she could feel that Alex wasn’t as anxious so gently she guided them into the room. 

She felt Alex’s hand squeeze her hand tighter as they got closer to the thrones, and she squeezed back. Alex let out a soft whine as they past, but finally they made it to the spot behind the thrones that held the secret door. 

A soft hum filled the air as the wooden panels suddenly glowed blue. Alex held out her hand and touched the wood, and with a click the doors opened. The smell of books and stale air made Maggie wrinkle her nose and she winced in sympathy as the smell made Alex’s sneeze. 

“Yuck.” Alex said, and shifted back to normal. 

Maggie smiled and patted her arm. “You going to be alright?” 

“Yeah, It’s just going to be a while before I can get that stench out of my nose.” Alex said, with a grimace. “Let’s go.” And with a deep breath she walked into her father’s office. And as soon as they both had stepped inside the doors swung closed, leaving them in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, I’m really excited for the next chapter so stay turned. As always, thanks for reading! :)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie and Alex discover something interesting in Jeremiah’s study and they finally meet the Centaur who gives them troubling news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Reading!
> 
> Note: This chapter begins exactly where the last one ended.

“Um… Alex.” Maggie said, after a moment. “It’s dark.” 

“Sorry just give me a second.” Alex said rubbing her nose. She sneezed one more time and then sniffled. “Yuck.” She said once more and then used a spell to light up the room. 

Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and there was a fine layer of dust over everything and both Maggie and Alex wrinkled their noses in disgust. 

“This is gross.” Maggie said. 

“Yep.” Alex shivered. “I’m going to need a bath after this.” She moved slowly, careful not to disturb too much dust. 

Other than the obvious dust and cobwebs the room was clean and orderly. Her father had hated clutter and preferred his workspace to be neat at all times. Alex picked that up from him as a child and the older she got the more she appreciated having things clean and neat. The thought made her miss him more. 

“Here, Maggie. Why don’t you check out this side and I’ll check out that side?” She said, pointing to the row of bookshelves across the room while Maggie took his desk. Her hands trembled at the thought of going through her father’s papers after all of this time, books were easier. Then maybe she could pretend that they were someone else’s.  
  


They searched quietly, and Maggie kept a quiet eye on her girlfriend, hoping that it wasn’t too much for her. She was quickly realizing that for all of her toughness, Alex had a sensitive soul. She cared deeply and even though she tried not to show it, there was a lot of hurt and pain in her past that Maggie knew would probably take years to uncover. She found herself looking forward to the future and the fact that thinking that way didn’t worry her made her pause. 

“Maggie?” Alex said, softly breaking the silence they had fallen into. “Can you take a look at this?” 

“Of course.” Maggie said, carefully making her way over. Alex was holding a black leather bound book with red letters on the front of it. The first thing that she noticed was that it said her family name on it. 

“What in the gods names is this?” Maggie said, taking the book from her. “Why would your father have a book about my family history?” 

Alex frowned at her. “Um… Mags?” Alex said, a bit startled. “I can’t read that… that’s what I was about to ask you. The script is in a different language than I know. Obviously you can read it.” 

“What?” Maggie said turning it over and then flipping through the pages. “This isn’t the common tongue?” 

“Nope.” Alex popped the p in the word. “It’s in some script that I’ve never seen. It’s almost like runes but different.” She looked up at her girlfriend. “It appears like the common tongue to you?” 

Maggie nodded, a bit perplexed. 

“Perhaps then there is a spell on it, so that only your eyes can read it… or maybe you have magic after all? Only it may different than what Kara or I have been gifted?” Alex commented her mind reeling with this news. She looked back to the shelf and found a few more books bound with the same black leather and the same red flowing script. 

“Can you read these?” She asked softly. 

Maggie took them gently, looking them over. After a minute she looked up at Alex. “This is scary.” She shivered, suddenly feeling cold. 

Alex quickly moved over and pulled her close. “Don’t worry. We will figure this out. Did you find anything over here?” 

Maggie shook her head and buried her face into Alex’s chest. “No. Can we get out of here?” She asked. 

Alex nodded. “Come on.” Taking the books with them, Alex pressed her hand against the door and the doors opened. Alex took a step, but the sound of a sword being drawn reached her ears and without warning the Beast rumbled to life. She growled loudly, and pushed Maggie behind her protecting her with her body as her mind scrambled to use her magic to throw up a shield. 

“Hold! Your Grace, I mean you no harm.” A voice said. “Forgive me, but when the doors opened you frightened me.” A tall woman stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Alex could feel the magic surrounding her and her beast relaxed. _A Centaur! It’s been at least a 100 years since they graced the Castle halls. They usually prefer to meet in the wood, J’onn had said._

“I apologize for scaring you Elder. I am honored by your presence!” Alex said bowing. She felt the woman step closer and a hand touched her back. 

“As am I, Your Grace.” The woman smiled at her as Alex rose to face her. “My name is Artemis, My Lady… or if you prefer, My Lord?” She teased, grinning. 

Alex blushed. She gestured to her hair and her pants. “I’m not much of a lady.” She mumbled quietly. 

“Neither am I.” Artemis said, removing the glamor spell and revealed her horse body. 

Maggie jumped a bit startled and the Centaur laughed. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be. It’s an honor to meet you.” Maggie said, in awe. Her mother had told her stories of Centaurs when she was a child. She hadn’t realized that they were actually real. Although she figured that after everything she had encountered since moving her she really shouldn’t be surprised. 

“Forgive me, but I do not know your name?” Artemis said, politely. 

“My name is Maggie Sawyer, I’m Alex’s…” She paused trying to figure out how to introduce herself. Alex came to rescue by grabbing her hand and pulling her closer. 

“She’s my girlfriend.” She said with a huge grin. 

It was Maggie’s turn to blush. 

Artemis’s face grew serious. “Sawyer did you say?” 

“Yes, Elder.” Maggie said, confused. “Why does that mean something to you?” 

“Indeed, although if you are here things are happening quicker than was foretold.” Artemis seemed a little shook by this news. “So much there is to tell and to do and yet so little time left.” She took a look around, and then turned to face Kara and Lena who were still in the hall. “Come let us return to the Library, the smell of death in her clouds my sight.” She glimmered herself once more and moved swiftly out of the room. 

Maggie squeezed Alex’s hand as they followed the Centaur. Through their bond, she could tell that Artemis’s comment had made Alex sad and she wished that there was something that she could do to cheer her up. 

They had almost made it to the Library, when suddenly the Centaur stopped. She grabbed her chest and let out a surprised cry, the sound mournful and full of anguish. 

“Artemis?” Lena said, sensing that something was really wrong. She could feel that the forest was in distress and she wondered if the Elder could feel it too. She moved quickly to place a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?” 

“No… My sister.” She whispered. “Her light… her magic… It’s gone.” 

“But how?” Lena said, although she had her suspicions already. She suspected her mother was behind this. “Is she dead?” 

“No, but without her connection to the Land she might as well be.” Artemis’ voice was cold with anger. “Come time is against us. Already there is a force moving in the shadows, waiting to strike. We must be ready.” 

“Ready for what?” Alex said. “I do not understand.” 

“It was not by accident that you were cursed Alex Danvers, nor has Maggie’s or even Kara’s appearance at this time and place an accident either. This has all played out precisely as it was foretold hundreds of years ago.” Artemis said, impatiently. “I will explain more when we get to the library, let’s go.” She said, before racing ahead. 

The four of them just looked at each other in disbelief before they ran racing after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I want to apologize for the long wait on this chapter and for the quality of it. Ive been dealing with really bad writers block when it comes to this story, and I wanted to at least give you something after waiting for so long. I think I have an idea of where I want to this to go, so I hope you will all stick around for just a little while longer. Thank you so much for your patience and your understanding. 
> 
> Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, and Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> So I’m really excited about this story, I’ve been wanting to do a Beauty and the Beast retelling for a while now, and this day prompt gave me the excuse to do so. Let me know in the comments what you think, and Thanks for reading!


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